On January 8th, 2011, Jared Loughner, a mentally disturbed young man, attended Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Congress at Your Corner event. Pistol in hand, he shot eighteen people, killing six. He was stopped by a group of heroes who wrestled him to the ground while he was reloading. But he didn't have to reload for 31 bullets, because he had an extended magazine, which was illegal under the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB).
Early July 20th, 2012, a gunman armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle busted into a theater in Aurora, Colorado and shot 70 people, murdering twelve. The AR-15 was illegal under the AWB.
How many of our friends, neighbors, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters must die before we stand up for our safety? No more. Restore the AWB. The American people deserve better.