Sen. Bill Nelson said Thursday that having armed guards in schools is not a practical option.
“The fact is we can’t make our school armed camps. That’s not practical, and it’s not reflective of our open society,” Mr. Nelson, Florida Democrat, said on Fox News.
Gun violence came back into the forefront of the political conversation on Wednesday after a gunman opened fire on his former high school in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people have been confirmed dead in that shooting so far, with another 15 still in the hospital.
The shooting suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
The suspect apparently had voiced his passion for weapons and violence on social media and was the type of teen other children as school called a “loner.” He had recently lost his mother to pneumonia and was living with family friends when the shooting occurred.
Mr. Nelson, who acknowledged he grew up with guns and remains an avid hunter, said weapons must be kept out of the hands of certain people and that new gun legislation should reflect that. He said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, tried to push through a bill that banned those on the terrorist watchlist from owning guns, but the measure failed to gain support.
He also said the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, signed into law in 1994, expired in 2004 and needs to be revisited.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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