Gun Violence
Floor Speech
GUN VIOLENCE -- (Senate - October 30, 2007)
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it has been 5 years since the sniper shootings that paralyzed the Washington, DC, area came to an end. At 3:19 in the morning on October 24, 2002, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested John Allen Mohammad and John Lee Malvo, putting an end to their reign of terror. Over the course of 23 long days, these two individuals randomly shot and killed 10 innocent people and critically injured 3 more.
Following their arrests, John Lee Malvo was sentenced to life imprisonment, and John Allen Mohammad was sentenced to death. Many community leaders urged action on gun safety legislation. However, how much has been done to help prevent such incidents?
Last month the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its latest ``Crime in the United States'' report, detailing
local, State, regional and national statistics for 2006. According to the report, 14,990 people were murdered in the United States last year alone. This is an increase over 14,965 murders in 2005, and 14,210 in 2004. Of the 14,990 murdered in 2006, 10,177 people were killed by a firearm. In Michigan alone, there were 711 murders last year, 498 involved a firearm. These numbers are simply staggering.
Gun violence is preventable. However it requires action. In order to reduce the level of gun violence in our homes and communities, Congress must pass common sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals.
Without action, guns will be found increasingly in our high schools, universities, religious institutions, and our homes. Some of us in Congress have heard voices cry of families, educators, and police officials around this country and continue to work to pass sensible gun legislation, which would limit access to guns by prohibited persons, close the gun show loophole, reauthorize the assault weapons ban and aid law enforcement agencies in tracking gun traffickers. Congress needs to address these needs and do everything possible to reduce the levels of gun violence in America.
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