Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, insisted on stricter gun control regulations after mass shooting at a ballroom in Monterey Park on Saturday that killed at least 11 people and injured nine others.
“None of this is surprising. This is all infuriating… The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact“He said in an interview for CBS News.
Newsom clarified that he has “no ideological opposition” against people who “responsibly” own guns and receive background checks and training on how to use them.
But he told her that current regulations are falling short.
For now, the police reported that they are continuing their investigations. The motive for the mass homicide remains unclear. Relatives say the gunman, Huu Can Tran, 72, had given no indication of his gruesome plan.
Authorities say the suspected shooter, who later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound as investigators closed in, used a modified pistol with a high-capacity magazine illegal in California, the state with the strictest gun laws in the US.
When asked how the gunman was able to get the gun, Newsom replied “we’ll figure it out,” adding: “That’s going to happen. You have to enforce the laws. Things get overlooked, but that doesn’t mean you give up.”
Newsom mentioned the role of mental health in mass shootings, but singled out access to guns as a factor exacerbating the problem.
“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done in this space, but we’ve had decades of neglect”, said. “But I will respectfully say that regardless of the challenges around behavioral health, there isn’t a country in the world that doesn’t experience behavioral health issues.”
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