The alleged Tucson shooter, Jared Loughner, was able to shoot 20 people because he used a high-capacity magazine clip that allowed him to fire 31 shots before he needed to reload. According to reports, it was his pause to reload with a second 30-round clip that gave bystanders - and heroes - Patricia Maisch, Bill Badger, Roger Sulzgeber and Joseph Zamudio the opportunity to disarm and subdue him.
The FBI has reported that Loughner purchased the gun and magazines legally at Sportsmans Warehouse on November 30th.
From 1994 – 2004, such high-capacity clips were illegal to manufacture or sell under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and they are currently banned in California and Massachusetts. In response to the Arizona shootings, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have pledged to introduce bills re-instating that ban.
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has pledged to introduce legislation:
"The only reason to have 33 bullets loaded in a handgun is to kill a lot of people very quickly. These high-capacity clips simply should not be on the market," Lautenberg said. "Before 2004, these ammunition clips were banned, and they must be banned again. When the Senate returns to Washington, I will introduce legislation to prohibit this type of high-capacity clip."
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Senator Lautenberg’s bill, which will be introduced when the Senate returns to session in two weeks, would ban ammunition clips that have a capacity of, or that could be readily converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Likewise, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY4), whose husband was killed and son injured in a 1993 shooting, has pledged to introduce similar legistlation.
Such legislation is expected to be vigorously opposed by the NRA and gun lobby. "[H]igh-capacity magazines have become, for the gun lobby, almost as cherished as the right to bear arms itself, and legislation restricting their use is likely to bring the full force of that lobby down on Congress."
If Loughner had been limited to a magazine containing no more than 10 bullets, he would have been able to shoot far fewer people before he had to stop to reload, giving others the opportunity to subdue him.
If you agree that it is time to reinstate the ban on such high-capacity magazines, please contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to co-sponsor and support the bills that will be introduced by Senator Lautenberg and Representative McCarthy in the coming weeks.