news

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Vice Chair Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) released the following statement regarding the shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin that killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, while seriously injuring Gaige Grosskreutz:

“A teenager had easy access to an AR-15. A teenager took that assault-style rifle, crossed state lines and then shot into a crowd of protesters. Two men are dead and one is injured because this teenager was able to get access to a deadly weapon. Amidst the tragedy and heartbreak, we cannot lose sight of the fact that this country’s relaxed approach to firearms has resulted in preventable deaths and tragedy.

“We need to speak truth at this moment. We need to understand how insurrectionists, white supremacists and would-be vigilantes are exploiting glaring loopholes in our gun laws to purchase and obtain military-style weaponry. We need to recognize how they exploit open-carry loopholes to intimidate and threaten communities, particularly Black and Brown communities. We need to call out the fact that male supremacists used guns in 70% of domestic terror attacks. Most importantly, we need to act now to make common sense and comprehensive gun reform a reality. And, let us all acknowledge that no child should be able to get access to an assault weapon.

“My heart continues to go out to Jacob Blake and his family as well as the families of those who were shot during these protests and the broader Kenosha community. As they and the rest of the country work through their grief we must take action to address systemic racism and reform this nation’s policing, criminal justice system and gun laws. Inaction will only compound these terrible tragedies.”

The House of Representatives has passed numerous bills to expand background checks, regulate magazine purchases, restrict criminals convicted of hate crimes from purchasing firearms, and adopt national red flag laws to allow local authorities to remove firearms from individuals believed to be a danger with a court petition. Each of these bills has yet to receive a vote in the Republican led Senate.

Congressman Brown has introduced bipartisan legislation to raise the age to purchase a semiautomatic military-style rifle, such as an AR-15, from 18 to 21, to be in line with the age limit to purchase a handgun from licensed firearms dealers.

###