Ryan, Law Enforcement Call for Gun Control. Gun Advocates Wary

1/8/2013 (Updated 10:27:58 PM)

(Source: Jason Weinstein)

On the second anniversary of the Tuscon, Arizona shooting which claimed six lives and seriously injured Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns released a commercial featuring the mother of the youngest victim, 9-year-old Christina Taylor.

"There are no words we can say to cure those wounds completely. But we can take actions to prevent further tragedies. And we damn well should," said Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan.

The plan of the mayors group, which Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan joined after the 2009 ACA shooting, calls for three specific actions: ending the so-called gun-show loophole and require criminal background checks for all gun sales, banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and making gun trafficking a federal crime.

"We can't allow any more Tuscons, Auroras, Sandy Hooks, or Binghamtons. We can't wait any longer," said Ryan.

"This is about money. This is the politicians wanting money. The gun manufacturers, the gun lobbyists, they give to these congressmen and these people and that's what it's about. It's not about safety. We don't send our kids to school, our people to the movies to get shot up," said Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski.

Frank Kushner of FMK Karate in Binghamton sells firearms, although not the assault rifles targeted by the mayors group. He says the recent calls for gun control have caused firearms sales to jump with people fearing their weapons may be banned.

"I have nothing against having laws, abiding by laws, closing loopholes in laws. That's great. If it just doesn't go beyond that, telling regular citizens who pass stringent background checks that they shouldn't be able to own firearms," said Kushner.

The law enforcement officials joining the mayor today feel there's enough common ground to move forward with a plan to stem gun violence.

"We need to be thinking, 'how do we prevent it?' There's no guarantees but I hope we can think together," said Broome County District Attorney Gerald Mollen.

****In Binghamton, Jason Weinstein, Fox 40 HD News****