Dems renew calls for gun restrictions in wake of Las Vegas shooting

Democrats are demanding action from Congress and the White House to impose new restrictions on gun sales following a mass shooting in Las Vegas late Sunday night, the deadliest in U.S. history.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said “there’s no excuse for inaction,” while former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attacked the National Rifle Association.

How long do we let gun violence tear families apart? Enough. Congress & the WH should act now to save lives. There’s no excuse for inaction.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2017

The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots.

Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 2, 2017

Our grief isn’t enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 2, 2017

At least 58 people were killed and some 400 injured after a shooter fired on a crowded country music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday night.

The suspected gunman, Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nev., was found dead in his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, from where he fired on the crowd. 

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President Trump will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday. In a somber address at the White House, Trump called the mass shooting “an act of pure evil” and praised the bravery of the first responders.

“We call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community, and the comfort of our common humanity,” Trump said. “Our unity cannot be shattered by evil, our bonds cannot be broken by violence, and though we feel such great anger, at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today and always will.”

But many Democrats expressed frustration with those offering thoughts and prayers for the victims, saying that it isn’t enough.

“This must stop. It is positively infuriating that my colleagues in Congress are so afraid of the gun industry that they pretend there aren’t public policy responses to this epidemic,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a statement. “The thoughts and prayers of politicians are cruelly hollow if they are paired with continued legislative indifference. It’s time for Congress to get off its ass and do something.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) echoed that sentiment.

Tragedies like Las Vegas have happened too many times. We need to have the conversation about how to stop gun violence. We need it NOW.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 2, 2017