MN Capitol rally calls on lawmakers to ban assault rifles

Hundreds gathered at the state Capitol on Monday asking Gov Tim Walz to call a special legislative session to ban assault weapons on the heels of a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School last week that killed two children and injured children and adults No one should be scared to go to school out of fear of being shot Our schools should be where our dreams are shaped not our nightmares revealed Timberlyn Mazeikis a former Michigan State University pupil who survived a mass shooting on campus there in and now is a volunteer leader with the Students Demand Action group at the University of Minnesota Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of the aisle must act to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines Mazeikis noted That s why we are at the Capitol the present day to ask Gov Walz to call a special session on general safety and demand our politicians prioritize our safety over the gun lobby s interests Walz broadcasted last week that he was planning to call state lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session to do just that in response to Wednesday s shooting in Minneapolis Walz and fellow Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have advocated for policies including a ban on semiautomatic rifles and a magazine quota limit Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are the bulk frequently used in mass shootings and have greater destructive impact than standard handguns revealed Minnesota Youth the group that hosted Monday s rally These weapons were designed for the battlefield not our schools churches or city streets Investigators say the high-powered rifle used in the Minneapolis shootings was a semiautomatic Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O Hara advised reporters Thursday that the mm rifle fired rounds in less than four minutes Republicans generally oppose new gun control provision so passage of any bill will require bipartisan encouragement Senate Majority Leader Mark Johnson R-East Grand Forks explained the Pioneer Press last week that Walz call for a special session was a partisan stunt Republicans are committed to addressing the root causes of violence supporting safe schools and increasing access to mental strength tools Johnson explained Calling for a special session without even consulting legislative leaders is not a serious way to begin A coalition of gun prevention groups evidenced up at the Monday rally including the state chapter of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Protect Minnesota Brady Northland Brady United s state chapter and the state chapter of the Giffords gun owner caucus organizers stated At least nine out of the mass shooting incidents with the the majority casualties since involved at least one firearm equipped with a high-capacity magazine and the use of at least one assault weapon declared a spokesperson for Minnesota Youth When the U S had a federal assault weapons ban on the books it worked State-level assault weapon bans are associated with a lower likelihood of an advancing shooter event Not only are laws prohibiting assault weapons constitutional these policies are effective and they save lives