Reactions to the latest deadly mass shooting incident mirror the continuing divide on the issue, here in Wisconsin and across the nation.
Jeri Bonavia with WAVE – Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort – said the most important lesson from the incident in Santa Barbara, California is the need to require background checks for all gun purchases.
“The fact that we allow many gun sales to occur without a background check is really pretty ludicrous,” said Bonavia. “Another thing we need to do is improve that background system.”
While gun control advocates like Bonavia call for improvements to existing background checks, Nik Clark with Wisconsin Carry Inc. argues that letting people arm themselves would be more effective.
“Here in Wisconsin some notable crimes are being committed by felons with guns who would never even come close to passing a background check, but they’re getting they’re hands on guns,” Clark said.
The May 23rd incident in Santa Barbara, California left six people dead including the assailant, who had passed a criminal background check as required by the law in that state.
