Colorado lawmaker invited to White House on gun violence

Mitch McKinlay with the Rocky Mountain Gun Show says it’s a move they can support but the process has to become faster.

As Obama announced new executive actions Tuesday aimed at expanding background checks for gun buyers, he spoke of the mass shooting at a CT elementary school, as well as shootings in South Carolina, Louisiana and Colorado – and on the streets of his Chicago hometown.

The president’s order that includes expanded background checks, along with more funding for federal agents and mental health treatment, is welcomed by the nationwide group called Moms Demand Action.

But Tennessee Republicans blasted the president for going around Congress and called his actions an assault on the rights of gun owners.

On Thursday ahead of the president’s evening town hall on gun control, MetroFocus will examine how his proposed changes would affect residents of the tri-state region.

A tearful Obama addressed media in the East Room of the White House, flanked on both sides by gun control activists and families of the victims of gun violence.

“We know we can’t stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world”, he said. Definitely need some background checks on people and also it will hopefully save lives.

Gun owner Matthew Maniace said he keeps guns on hand for protection.

President Obama said he will streamline reporting mental health information that could exclude you from getting a firearm.

Obama paused and wiped tears away as he mentioned freedom of religion taken from parishioners slaughtered at a SC church and freedom of assembly taken from cinema-goers slain at cinemas in Colorado and Louisiana. But they say the effect may be modest.

“For the first 3-4 months, our training classes have been full, people are coming in for private one-on-one training, just an instructor one-on-one learning how to use the firearm”, Reeves said.

Obama unveiled measures earlier in the day that will require individuals involved in trading firearms to obtain special licenses and carry out background checks of their customers.