Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio says "thoughts and prayers are not enough" after a shooter killed nine people and wounded dozens more before he was killed by police in Dayton.
In a statement Sunday, Brown says he is angry that state and national lawmakers won't pass more gun safety laws.
Complete statement from Sen. Brown:
“As Ohio wakes up this morning to the news of this horrific attack, Connie and I are filled with sadness for the victims and their families and gratitude for the police officers who responded to the scene and the medical professionals caring for the injured. We are also angry - angry that shooting after shooting politicians in Washington and Columbus refuse to pass sensible gun-safety laws to protect our communities. We are still learning about the attack in Dayton and we don’t know exactly what, if anything, could have prevented this specific tragedy. But we know thoughts and prayers are not enough, we have a responsibility to act.
“My office stands ready to assist the Dayton community with whatever is needed to investigate and recover from this attack.”
Several proposals have been introduced in the GOP-led Legislature this session that would tighten requirements on firearms sales, transfers and storage. A gun safety group is also pushing to change state law to require background checks on nearly all guns sales.
The Republican who leads the Ohio Senate also shared a statement praising the quick response from Dayton police.
This is the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.
