Gun advocates should quit saying that restoring the assault-weapons ban would mean nothing. All 15 mass killings of ten or more since Columbine (19 years ago April 20) would have been stopped or diminished under he ban that was in place for a decade but was sunsetted by the NRA in 2004.

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Assault Weapons Used in All Mass Shootings of 10 or More Since Columbine

Originally published in the Colorado Springs Gazette

By Robert Weiner and Brad Star

Gun advocates should quit saying that restoring the assault-weapons ban would mean nothing. All 15 mass killings of ten or more since Columbine (19 years ago April 20) would have been stopped or diminished under he ban that was in place for a decade but was sunsetted by the NRA in 2004.

Though the Parkland students have pushed the envelope in an amazing way, no progress has been made on the front of assault weapons. In reality, the automatic and semi-automatic weapons used in each mass shooting killing ten or more over the past two decades would have been barred or greatly reduced under an assault-weapons ban.

It's simply not true that, as alleged by gun advocates, an assault-weapons ban would make little to no difference in the fight against gun violence.

"I'm a supporter of the Second Amendment and I remain a supporter of the Second Amendment," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in February following the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. "The Second Amendment is not the cause of this. The cause of this is individuals who happen to abuse that liberty and that constitutional right for the purposes of conducting these atrocities."

Rubio is right--the Second Amendment is not the problem. Qualifications on possession and gun types are perfectly legal under the Second Amendment.

The most-watched news on modern gun events revolves around mass killings with the most deaths, the ones committed with assault weapons. Successfully stopping these headlines with an assault-weapons ban would go a long way in easing the national angst about the terror of mass shootings in schools, churches, cinemas, clubs and other public spaces. Even the NRA should want to achieve this since by taking away the worst and most long-term headlines, the remaining protections would remain with less pressure against them.

Assault weapons--including the semi-automatic handguns used at Columbine and Aurora--were once illegal in the U.S. under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB), included in the crime bill of 1994. The federal ban prevented the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms that the government classified as assault weapons. The ban applied to weapons produced after the bill's passing.

The AWB lasted just 10 years, expiring in 2004 due to its sunset provision, which NRA chief lobbyist Tanya Metaska added to mitigate a bill she knew was going to pass. Her plan worked, and the AWB was not reauthorized after 2004.

Mass shootings were less frequent during the ban and the ones with the most deaths are much more frequent today. Since 1994, 16 mass shootings involving 10 or more deaths have taken place in the U.S. Just two of those shootings, the Columbine massacre and the Atlanta shootings, occurred between 1994 and 2004, the period during which the AWB was in effect. In the 14 years since the expiration of the AWB, the U.S. has seen 14 mass shootings killing ten or more:

- Columbine High School massacre*, 1999; 15 deaths; weapons used: Intratec TEC-DC9 semi-automatic pistol, Hi-Point 995 Carbine, Savage 67H pump-action shotgun, 99 explosives, 4 knives

- Atlanta shootings*, 1999; 10 deaths; weapons used: Colt 1911A1 pistol, Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol, H&R Revolver, Raven MP-25 semi-automatic pistol

- Red Lake shootings*, 2005; 10 deaths; weapons used: Glock 23 semi-automatic pistol, Ruger MK II semi-automatic pistol, Remington 870 shotgun

- Virginia Tech shooting*, 2007; 33 deaths; weapons used: Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol, Walther P22 semi-automatic pistol

- Binghamton shootings*, 2009; 14 deaths; weapons used: Beretta 92FS Vertec Inox semi-automatic pistol, Beretta Px4 Storm semi-automatic pistol

- Fort Hood shooting*, 2009; 14 deaths; weapons used: FN Five-seven semi-automatic pistol, Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver

- Geneva County massacre*, 2009; 11 deaths; weapons used: Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle, SKS carbine, .38-caliber handgun, 12-gauge shotgun

- Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting*, 2012; 28 deaths; weapons used: Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle, Glock 20SF semi-automatic pistol

- Aurora shooting*, 2012; 12 deaths; weapons used: Smith & Wesson M7P14 Sport rifle, Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, Glock 22 semi-automatic pistol, 2 tear-gas grenades

- Washington Navy Yard shooting*, 2013; 13 deaths; weapons used: Remington 70 Express Tactical 12-gauge shotgun, Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol

- San Bernardino shooting*, 2015; 16 deaths; weapons used: DPMS Panther Arms A15 semi-automatic rifle, Smith & Wesson M7P15 semi-automatic rifle, Llama semi-automatic pistol, Springfield XD semi-automatic pistol, pipe bombs

- Umpqua Community College shooting*, 2015; 10 deaths; weapons used: Smith & Wesson M99 semi-automatic pistol, Taurus PT24/7 semi-automatic pistol, Hi-Point CF-380 semi-automatic pistol, Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol, Del-Ton DTI-15 semi-automatic rifle

- Orlando nightclub shooting*, 2016; 50 deaths; weapons used: SIG Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle, Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol

- Las Vegas shooting*, 2017; 59 deaths; weapons used: 14 AR-15-type rifles, 8 AR-10-type rifles, Ruger American bolt-action rifle, Smith & Wesson Model 342 AirLite TI revolver

- Sutherland Springs church shooting*, 2017; 27 deaths; Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle

- Stoneman Douglas High School shooting*, 2018; 17 deaths; Smith & Wesson M&p15 semi-automatic rifle

*Shootings involving firearms that would have been banned by the AWB

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a bill enacted in 1993 that remains in effect today, did augment background checks and prevented the purchase of many firearms by convicted felons (171 per day, on average), domestic abusers (48) and fugitives (19). However, it is clear that a strict assault-weapons ban is necessary in order to deter mass shootings.

Actual assault rifles such as the M16--a fully automatic gun capable of firing off 700-900 rounds per minute--are unavailable to the public for purchase and are hard to acquire, but mass shooters have other means of attaining their desires. A common theme between many recent mass shooters is their weapon of choice, the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle that appeared at shootings in Parkland, Fla.; Melcroft, Pa.; San Bernardino, Calif.; and Las Vegas. The AR-15 and others of its kind, which have become known as "assault-style rifles," are far easier to obtain because they are legal and relatively cheap.

Many Democrats have already called for a ban on assault weapons.

"So long as assault rifles like the AR-15 are legally sold in this state, so long as they are not banned, their threat to civilians will remain in every school, every mall, every theater, every nightclub, and in every place the public gathers," said Florida State Senator Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens.

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) introduced an assault-weapons ban in the U.S. House in late February, which has garnered 174 co-sponsors to date. Cicilline's proposal comes a year after a ban proposed to the Senate by Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who spearheaded the original AWB in 1994. Both options would ban sales of certain semiautomatic rifles that feature military-style accessories, including pistol grips and suppressors. The sale of magazines able to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition would also be outlawed.

Although several Republican lawmakers have shown hints of support for an assault-weapons ban, lawmakers on the right have yet to sponsor, cosponsor, or endorse such a bill.

The rifles used in Las Vegas were customized with bump stocks, an attachment that enables semi-automatic rifles to fire faster and, essentially, become fully automatic. Bump-stock bans are currently being considered in several states, including Maryland, where Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he would sign a ban once it reaches his desk.

Settling for only a bump-stock ban is far from enough to alleviate the gun-control issue. While such a ban is also a needed step, we need to restore the commonsense ban on assault weapons, one similar to the bill that was in effect from 1994 to 2004. An assault ban is the U.S.'s best chance at eliminating the constant mass-shooting headlines.

Robert Weiner was spokesman for the White House National Drug Control Policy Office, the U.S. House Judiciary and Government Operations Committees, and the House Narcotics Committee. Brad Star is a policy analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change.

(Article changed on April 27, 2018 at 03:08)

(Article changed on April 27, 2018 at 13:01)

Authors Bio:

Robert Weiner,
NATIONAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ISSUES STRATEGIST

Bob Weiner, a national issues and public affairs strategist, has been spokesman for and directed the public affairs offices of White House Drug Czar and Four Star General Barry McCaffrey, the House Government Operations Committee and Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and the House Narcotics Committee, and was Chief of Staff for the House Aging Committee and Chairman Claude Pepper (D-FL). He also was Legislative Assistant to Ed Koch of New York and a political aide to Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for his Presidential and Senate races. Bob worked at the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate as youth voter registration director in 1971-1972 when the constitution was amended to allow 18-year olds the vote.

Since he left the White House in 2001, Bob heads up a public affairs and issue strategies company, Robert Weiner Associates. He is a regular political analyst on Radio America and has appeared on Bill Maher, CNN Crossfire, Today, Good Morning America, and the CBS, NBC, and ABC evening news. He is widely published in columns he writes on national issues in major papers throughout the country including recently the Washington Post, Denver Post, Miami Herald, Christian Science Monitor, New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Atlanta Constitution, New York Post, Washington Times, Sacramento Bee, Palm Beach Post, Salt Lake Tribune, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Adweek. He is also regularly quoted in key media coast-to-coast, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, AP and Reuters, concerning the presidential campaign and national issues.