For the second time in six months, a deadly shooting has occurred inside an American airport. According to press reports, earlier today at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) a gunman with an assault weapon fired at least 10 rounds near security at Terminal 3, killing a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee and injuring several others.
This is the second airport shooting in just six months. In May, a gunman opened fire in a Houston airport before turning the gun on himself. And the TSA recently reported a record number of firearms being found at airport checkpoints in 2013, up 30 percent from last year. Despite these tragedies and increased gun danger at American airports, the gun lobby continues to fight to make it easier to carry loaded guns inside airports. For example, the gun lobby advocated for the new policy that makes it legal for permit-holding gun owners to bring loaded weapons into the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, one of the busiest airports in the world.
This week alone, there have been three mass shootings in our nation: in Texas, South Carolina and Arizona. Today’s shooting at LAX is yet another tragic reminder that our country is suffering from an overwhelming gun violence epidemic that has spiraled out of control and threatens the safety of every single American.
The mothers of America call on this Congress to, finally, respond to this shooting tragedy as impetus to act on gun reform. Our nation needs new and stronger gun laws, such as background checks, and increased gun regulation, including a ban on assault weapons for civilians, to protect our families and loved ones from gun violence.
