>> I THINK EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT
OF OUR GUN LAWS FOCUSING ON
CRIMINALS AND DANGEROUS PEOPLE,
MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE WHERE WE
HAVE THE LEGAL ABILITY TO DO SO
CAN REDUCE VIOLENCE IN OUR
COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVE PUBLIC
SAFETY.
>> Shannon: THAT WAS
ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS
EARLIER TODAY DISCUSSING HOW HE
BELIEVED SENSELESS TRAGEDY LIKE
THIS MASS SHOOTING IN
SOUTH FLORIDA CAN BE AVOIDED.
BOTH SIDES AGREE SOMETHING HAS
TO BE DONE.
THE DIVIDE IS OVER WHAT THAT
LOOKS LIKE.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE NATIONS GUN
LAWS OR INFORMING THEM ENTIRELY,
SOMETHING THAT’S NOT EVEN
RELATED TO THE LAW.
VICE MAYOR FOR BROWARD COUNTY,
RETIRED FBI SPECIAL AGENT
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Shannon: I WANT TO ASK YOU
FIRST HOW ARE FOLKS DOING DOWN
THERE TONIGHT?
>> IT’S BEEN TOUGH, ON BEHALF OF
THE BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION I
WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR
CONDOLENCES TO THE VICTIMS OF
THE TRAGEDY.
IT’S BEEN HARD ON EVERYBODY.
IT’S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE HORRIBLE
EXPERIENCE.
WHAT IS APPALLING IS THAT OUR
GOVERNOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA
AND SEVERAL OTHER ELECTED
OFFICIALS COME DOWN HERE TO
EXPRESS THEIR GRIEF, EXPRESSED
THEIR OUTRAGE THEN THEY LEAVE
AND THEY SUPPORT THE SAME LAWS
THAT ALLOW A TEENAGER TO GO AND
BUY AN ASSAULT WEAPON.
IT’S APPALLING THAT PEOPLE COME
DOWN HERE WHETHER IT’S A
GOVERNOR OR A STATE SENATOR AND
ON ONE HAND TO SHOW THEIR
CONDOLENCES AND THEIR SYMPATHY
FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN ON THE
OTHER HAND, THEY SUPPORT LAWS
THAT ALLOW TEENAGERS TO BUY
ASSAULT WEAPONS.
LESS THAN EIGHT WEEKS, THERE
HAVE BEEN 18 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN
THE UNITED STATES.
AT SOME POINT, WHEN DOES IT
STOP, WHEN WILL ELECTED
OFFICIALS IN OUR STATE
GOVERNMENT MAKE THE PROPER LAWS
TO STOP THIS?
>> Shannon: IT’S A HORRIFIC
SITUATION THAT HAPPENED
YESTERDAY.
IT’S IMPORTANT --
"THE WASHINGTON POST"
FACT-CHECKED THE 18 SHOOTINGS
AND THEY SAID THE NUMBER IS NOT
ACCURATE.
THAT CAN BE DEBATED, WHAT
HAPPENED YESTERDAY CANNOT BE
DEBATED.
I WANT TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF
WHAT THE LAWYER FOR THE FAMILY
WHERE THE SHOOTER HAD BEEN
SAYING, WILL GET SOME REACTION
FROM BOTH OF YOU.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF 19-YEAR-OLDS
OUT HERE, THIS IS A BRUTAL PART
OF THE COUNTY WHERE PEOPLE HUNT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT FIREARMS, THIS
IS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WENT
SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS KID
AND NOBODY CAN EXPLAIN IT RIGHT
NOW.
>> Shannon: WHAT ABOUT THE
REST OF THIS EQUATION, THE FACT
THAT HE WAS KNOWN TO HAVE
PROBLEMS.
SOME REPORTS THAT HE LIED ON
BACKGROUND CHECKS, THERE WERE
CLEARLY THINGS THAT DON’T ADD UP
THAT LEAD TO WHAT HAPPENED
YESTERDAY.
WHAT DO WE DO?
>> THE FIRST THING WE DO IS
THERE HAS TO BE SOME COMMON
SENSE.
I HEAR WHAT MARK IS SAYING, YOU
WANT TO HAVE LAWS IN PLACE TO
PROTECT YOU.
HAVING SPENT MY LIFE AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THERE ARE A LOT OF
LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT PEOPLE
WANT TO PAY NO MATTER WHAT.
300 MILLION REGISTERED GUNS IN
THE UNITED STATES, THAT DOESN’T
INCLUDE ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ONES.
GUN CONTROL IS NOT GOING TO BE
THE ANSWER ALONE.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT MENTAL
HEALTH AND GETTING OTHERS
INVOLVED TO RECOGNIZE THE
PROBLEMS.
>> Shannon: ONE OF YOUR
SENATORS REPRESENTING YOU HERE
IN D.C. -- I WANT TO PLAY A BIT
ABOUT WHAT HE HAD TO SAVE US
TRYING TO FIND THIS BALANCE WITH
GUN RIGHTS AND GUN CONTROL.
>> EVEN AS WE RECOGNIZE THE
SECOND AMENDMENT GIVES AMERICANS
A RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AND PROTECT
THEMSELVES CAN A RIGHT THAT I
STRONGLY SUPPORTED WILL CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT, WE MUST ALSO
RECOGNIZE THAT THAT SAME
CONSTITUTION PLACES UPON THIS
GOVERNMENT AN OBLIGATION TO
ENSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY AND
PROMOTE GENERAL WELFARE.
>> Shannon: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A
SENSIBLE PLACE TO START THIS
CONVERSATION.
HOW DOES THAT BALANCE GET
ACHIEVED?
>> IT’S INTERESTING THEY ALWAYS
BRING UP THE SECOND AMENDMENT
AND WE ARE NOT DISPUTING THE
SECOND AMENDMENT.
MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO BELONG TO
THE NRA WHO HAVE HANDGUNS ARE
SAYING NOW THAT SOMETHING HAS TO
BE DONE WITH ASSAULT WEAPONS.
LET’S USE THOSE TWO WORDS
ASSAULT WEAPONS.
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA YOU HAVE
A THREE DAY WAITING PERIOD TO
BUY HANDGUNS.
TWO BY AN ASSAULT WEAPON YOU GO
IN AND A FEW MINUTES LATER GO
OUT AND AFTER A BACKGROUND CHECK
WITH NO WAITING PERIOD AND BY AN
ASSAULT WEAPON.
WE ARE DISTINGUISHING ASSAULT
WEAPONS FROM HANDGUNS.
THE TOPIC TODAY IS LET’S FOCUS
IN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS AND START
ABANDONING THEM AND A STOPPING
TEENAGERS FROM BUYING THEM.
>> Shannon: I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE HEAR THE WORD ASSAULT
WEAPON IT’S CONFUSING TO THEM
THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
THERE, THEY DO HAVE COSMETIC
DIFFERENCES AND THEY SHOW UP A
LOT IN THESE CRIMES.
WHAT OF WHAT MARK IS SUGGESTING?
>> THESE WEAPONS DO SHOW UP
QUITE A BIT BUT JUST AS OFTEN AS
NOT, HANDGUNS SHOW UP.
LOOK AT THE GABRIELLE GIFFORD
SHOOTING, THAT INDIVIDUAL IS
USING A HANDGUN BUT WAS ABLE TO
FIRE 32 ROUNDS IN JUST 11
SECONDS, KILLING SIX PEOPLE.
THAT’S WHY I THINK THE PROBLEM
GOES FAR BEYOND A DISCUSSION OF
IT GOES TO MENTAL HEALTH AND
ALSO PEOPLE LEARNING HOW TO