View source for Gun control after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

{{Short description|Gun control discussion following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting}}
After the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]], multiple [[Overview of gun laws by nation|gun laws]] were proposed in the United States at the federal and state levels. The shooting renewed debate about [[gun control]]. The debates focused on requiring [[National Instant Criminal Background Check System|background checks]] on all firearm sales (called universal background checks), and on passing new and expanded [[assault weapon]] and [[high-capacity magazine ban]]s.
==Background==
On December 14, 2012, twenty children and six adults were murdered at [[Newtown Public Schools|Sandy Hook Elementary School]] in [[Newtown, Connecticut]].<ref name=Barron121215/> One other adult, the shooter's mother, had been murdered before the shooter went to the school. He committed suicide after hearing the police arrive. It was the deadliest primary [[school shooting]],<ref name=Effron121214/> the fourth-deadliest [[mass shooting]] by a single person,<ref name=Candiotti-Ford121216/> and one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.<ref name=CNNLib131026/>
==Initial response==
{{Main|Reactions to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting}}
Within hours of the shooting, a [[We the People (petitioning system)|We the People]] user started a petition asking the [[White House]] to "immediately address the issue of gun control through the introduction of legislation in Congress,"<ref name=Bruce121214/><ref name=Wing121217/> and the gun control advocacy group the [[Brady Campaign|Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence]] reported that an avalanche of donations caused its website to crash.<ref name=New121214/> That afternoon, President [[Barack Obama]] made a televised statement offering condolences on behalf of the nation to Connecticut governor, [[Dannel Malloy]] and saying, "we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."<ref name=ObamaStmt121214/> Speaking at a December 16 memorial service in Newtown, Obama said he would "use whatever power this office holds" to prevent similar tragedies.<ref name=Landler-Baker121217/> By December 17, the White House petition had more than 150,000 signatures,<ref name=Wing121217/> and one week after the shooting it had almost 200,000, along with those on 30 similar petitions.<ref name=Levy121221/>
A ''[[USA Today]]''/[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] poll conducted days after the shooting showed "mixed results" regarding public opinion on firearm laws.<ref name=Madhani121226/> While public support for strengthening gun laws rose 15 percent compared to a similar poll in 2011, there had been "little change in attitudes about some longstanding proposals, including the outlawing of assault rifles." A law requiring background checks for all gun-show sales was favored by 92 percent of Americans and a law banning the sale and possession of [[high-capacity magazine]]s (defined by the poll as those capable of holding more than 10 rounds) was supported by 62 percent of Americans. A record-high 74 percent opposed a ban on handguns and 51 percent opposed banning assault weapons.<ref name=Saad121227/>
==White House actions==
On December 19, 2012, President  Obama announced the formation of an inter-agency gun-violence task force headed by Vice President [[Joe Biden]].<ref name=ABCNews121219/> The task force held 22 meetings and collected ideas from 229 organizations.<ref name=Rucker-Wallsten130119/>
On January 16, 2013, President Obama announced a plan for reducing gun violence in four parts: closing background check loopholes; banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; making schools safer; and increasing access to mental health services.<ref name=WHNow-site/><ref name=WHNow-full/>{{rp|2}} The plan included 23 executive actions, signed immediately by the president, and 12 proposals for Congress.<ref name=MacAskill-Pilkington/>
The executive actions signed by President Obama were:<ref name=NYT-WHProposal130116/>
* Issuing a presidential memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the [[National Instant Criminal Background Check System]] (NICS).
* Addressing unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]] (HIPAA), that may prevent states from making information available to NICS.
* Improving incentives for states to share information with NICS.
* Directing the [[United States Attorney General|attorney general]] to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
* Proposing a rule making to give law enforcement authorities the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
* Publishing a letter from the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] (ATF) to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
* Starting a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
* Reviewing safety standards for gun [[Trigger lock#Locks|locks]] and [[gun safe]]s ([[U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission|Consumer Product Safety Commission]]).
* Issuing a presidential memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
* Releasing a report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and making it widely available to law enforcement authorities.
* Nominating an ATF director.
* Providing law enforcement authorities, first responders and school officials with proper training for armed attacks situations.
* Maximizing enforcement efforts to prevent [[gun violence]] and prosecute gun crime.
* Issuing a presidential memorandum directing the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) to research gun violence.
* Directing the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenging the private sector to develop innovative technologies.
* Clarify that the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|Affordable Care Act]] (ACA) does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
* Releasing a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
* Providing incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
* Developing model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship, and institutions of higher education.
* Releasing a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that [[Medicaid]] plans must cover.
* Finalizing regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within insurance exchanges.
* Committing to finalizing [[Mental Health Parity Act|mental health parity]] regulations.
* Starting a national dialogue on mental health led by Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, and Arne Duncan, the secretary of education.
The White House's proposed congressional actions were these:<ref name=NYT-WHProposal130116/>
* Requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that currently are exempt.
* Reinstating and strengthening the federal [[Federal Assault Weapons Ban|Assault Weapons Ban]] of 1994 (AWB 1994) that expired in 2004.
* Limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.
* Banning the possession of armor-piercing bullets by anyone other than members of the military and law enforcement.
* Increasing criminal penalties for [[Straw purchase|"straw purchasers"]] who pass the required background check to buy a gun on behalf of someone else.
* Acting on a $4 billion administration proposal to help keep 15,000 police officers on the street.
* Confirming President Obama's nominee for director of the (ATF).
* Eliminating a restriction that requires the ATF to allow the importation of weapons that are more than 50 years old.
* Financing programs to train more police officers, first responders and school officials on how to respond to active armed attacks.
* Provide additional $20 million to help expand the system that tracks violent deaths across the nation from 18 states to 50 states.
* Providing $30 million in grants to states to help schools develop emergency response plans.
* Providing financing to expand mental health programs for young people.
The proposals were opposed by the NRA and the [[National Shooting Sports Foundation]] (NSSF),<ref name=Horwitz130116/> and opposition was expected by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and some [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] legislators.<ref name=MacAskill-Pilkington/><ref name=WSJ130116/>
==Advocacy groups actions==
On December 21, 2012 – between the formation of Biden's task force and the announcement of Obama's proposals – [[Wayne LaPierre]], executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), expressed the gun-rights group's sympathy for the families of Newtown. LaPierre said that [[Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990|gun-free school zones]] attract killers, and that "the media demonize lawful gun owners, amplify their cries for more laws, and fill the national media with misinformation and dishonest thinking that only delay meaningful action." He said, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," and that debating legislation that won't work would be a waste of time. He called on Congress "to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation" so that every school in America would be safe when pupils returned to school in January 2013.  LaPierre announced that the NRA would develop a National Model School Shield Program for every American school that wants it.<ref name=LaPierre121221/>
After LaPierre's press conference, the Brady Campaign asked for donations to support its gun control advocacy and asked NRA members "who believe like we do, that we are better than this" to join its campaign.<ref name=ConnorIsikoff/> On January 8, 2013, former Congresswoman [[Gabby Giffords]], who was shot and injured in a [[2011 Tucson shooting|2011 shooting in Tucson]], launched [[Americans for Responsible Solutions]] to raise money for gun control efforts to counter the influence of powerful pro-gun groups such as the NRA.<ref name=BBC130108/>
==Congressional action==
===Proposed assault weapons ban===
{{Main|Assault Weapons Ban of 2013}}
On January 24, 2013, Senator [[Dianne Feinstein]] and 24 Democratic cosponsors introduced {{USBill|113|S.|150}}, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 (AWB 2013).<ref name=CSPAN130124/><ref name=Freedman130124/> It was similar to the expired 1994 federal ban, but differed in that it used a one-feature test for a firearm to be considered an [[assault weapon]], rather than the two-feature test of the 1994 ban.<ref name=Kucinich130124/> Gun-control advocates said the stricter test would make the weapons less appealing to gun enthusiasts.<ref name=Freedman130124/> In addition, it would have banned:
*the sale, transfer, importation or manufacture of about 150 named firearms;
*firearms with "[[Stock (firearms)|thumbhole stock]]s" and "[[bullet button]]s";
*the importation of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines;
*and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices (defined as those capable of holding more than 10 rounds).<ref name=Kucinich130124/>
It would have grandfathered in weapons legally owned on the day of enactment and exempted 2,258 specific firearms "used for hunting or sporting purposes," of which only 33 were semiautomatic centerfire rifles.<ref name=Kucinich130124/><ref name=Chebium130124/>
Feinstein wanted the grandfathered firearms registered under the [[National Firearms Act]], which currently registers [[machinegun]]s, [[Suppressor|silencer]]s and [[short barreled shotgun]]s.<ref name=Summary121226/><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/k1iYl0coIOY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150526023814/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1iYl0coIOY Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1iYl0coIOY| title = Senator Feinstein: Time to 'bite the bullet,' Pass Gun Control - 12/30/12 | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 30 December 2012 }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.c-span.org/video/?310086-1/senators-feinstein-blumenthal-react-nra| title = Senators Feinstein and Blumenthal React to NRA {{!}} C-SPAN.org| access-date = 2014-04-18| archive-date = 2014-04-18| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140418234037/http://www.c-span.org/video/?310086-1/senators-feinstein-blumenthal-react-nra| url-status = live}}</ref>
On March 14, 2013, the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]] approved the bill, though it was not expected to clear the full Senate or the [[United States House of Representatives|House]].<ref name=Steinhauer130314/><ref name=FoxNews130314/> Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] decided to leave the proposed ban out of the broader gun control bill, saying that it was unlikely to win the 60 votes it needed in the 100-member chamber and that it would jeopardize more widely supported proposals.<ref name=Simon130417/><ref name=Warren130417/> On the morning of April 17, 2013, the bill failed on a vote of 40 to 60. It was supported by Democrat Reid and Republican Senator [[Mark Kirk]], but 15 Democrats, one [[Independent (politician)|independent]], and all the Republicans except Kirk voted against the ban.<ref name=Simon130417/><ref>{{cite web|title=Senate Vote 101 - Rejects Feinstein Proposal to Reinstate Assault Weapons Ban|url=https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/113/senate/1/101|website=ProPublica|date=12 August 2015|publisher=Pro Publica Inc.|access-date=23 February 2018|archive-date=23 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223171450/https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/113/senate/1/101|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Proposed universal background checks===
The Manchin-Toomey Amendment was a bi-partisan piece of legislation that would require background checks on most private party firearm sales, sponsored by Democratic Sen. [[Joe Manchin]] and Republican Sen. [[Pat Toomey]].<ref name=LengellWashTimes04242013>{{cite news |title= Leaks hurt gun control bill, Sen. Pat Toomey says |author= Lengell, Sean |url= http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/24/leaks-hurt-gun-control-bill-sen-pat-toomey-says/ |newspaper= [[Washington Times]] |date= April 24, 2013 |access-date= August 17, 2013 |archive-date= September 28, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130928212217/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/24/leaks-hurt-gun-control-bill-sen-pat-toomey-says/ |url-status= live }}</ref> The amendment, {{USBill|113|S.Amdt|715}} to {{USBill|113|S.|649}}, was voted on and defeated on April 17, 2013, by a vote of 54–46. It needed 60 votes to pass.<ref name=KorteCamia130417>{{cite news |last1=Korte |first1=Gregory |last2=Camia |first2=Catalina |date=April 17, 2013 |title=Obama on Senate gun vote: 'A shameful day' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/04/17/guns-background-checks-manchin-senate/2090105/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=April 17, 2013 |archive-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418022057/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/04/17/guns-background-checks-manchin-senate/2090105/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==State actions==
{{See also|Gun laws in the United States by state|Assault weapons legislation in the United States#State assault weapon bans|l2=State assault weapon bans}}
{{As of|2013|4|3|df=us}}, only five states had passed stricter gun control laws, while ten states had passed laws that weakened restrictions on firearms.<ref name=Hartmann130403/>
===Connecticut===
In the early morning hours of April 4, 2013, the [[Connecticut General Assembly]] passed new restrictions to the state's existing assault weapons ban. Governor [[Dannel Malloy]] signed them into law later the same day.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 4, 2013 |title=Connecticut Governor Signs Gun Measures |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/nyregion/connecticut-lawmakers-pass-gun-limits.html |newspaper=New York Times |agency=Associated Press |access-date=April 10, 2014 |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114004923/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/nyregion/connecticut-lawmakers-pass-gun-limits.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The law  banned the sale or purchase of [[High-capacity magazine#Capacity|magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition]] like those used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and required universal background checks for all firearm purchases.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mungin |first1=Lateef |last2=Brady |first2=Brittany |date=April 4, 2013 |title=Connecticut governor signs sweeping gun measure |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/04/us/connecticut-gun-law-overhaul/ |publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=April 10, 2014 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413132257/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/04/us/connecticut-gun-law-overhaul/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Gun owners challenged the law, but federal judge [[Alfred Covello]] upheld the law, ruling it constitutional and writing, "While the act burdens the plaintiffs' Second Amendment rights, it is substantially related to the important governmental interest of public safety and crime control." Gun owners said they would appeal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pazniokas |first=Mark |date=January 30, 2014 |title=Federal judge upholds Sandy Hook gun law |url=http://ctmirror.org/federal-judge-upholds-sandy-hook-gun-law/ |newspaper=Connecticut Mirror |publisher=Connecticut News Project |access-date=April 10, 2014 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413140413/http://ctmirror.org/federal-judge-upholds-sandy-hook-gun-law/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In February 2014, the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' reported that Connecticut had processed about 50,000 assault weapons certificates, but that anywhere from 50,000 to 350,000 remained unregistered. "And that means," wrote the ''Courant's'' Dan Haar, "as of Jan. 1, Connecticut has very likely created tens of thousands of newly minted criminals — perhaps 100,000 people, almost certainly at least 20,000 — who have broken no other laws."<ref name=Haar140210/> Frank Miniter wrote in an April 2014 ''[[Forbes]]'' [[op-ed]] "that more than 300,000 Connecticut residents decided not to register their 'assault weapons,' moved them out of state, or sold them."<ref name=Miniter140413/>
===New York===
In January 2013, New York became the first U.S. state to act after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act passed in the state Senate 43–18 on January 15 and cleared the [[New York State Assembly]] after about five hours of debate on Tuesday, January 16. It was signed by Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] one hour later. The act expanded the definition of assault weapons banned in New York, created a state database for pistol permits, reduced the maximum number of rounds legally allowed in magazines to seven from ten, and required universal background checks on all gun sales.<ref name=Seiler130116/>
A dozen Republican conference members voted for the measure, but its Senate Republican leader did not attend the signing ceremony.<ref name=Seiler130116/> The NRA called the assembly's actions "a secretive end run around the legislative and democratic process ... with no committee hearings and no public input," and said the law was "draconian."<ref name=Seiler130116/>
In a related move, the state comptroller announced that the state's pension fund would freeze its investments in publicly traded firearm manufacturers. The fund's holdings in [[Smith & Wesson]] had been sold in December, after the Connecticut shootings.<ref name=Seiler130116/>
Provisions of the SAFE Act have been challenged. On December 31, 2013, a federal court judge struck down the act's limit of seven rounds in magazines capable of holding 10, but upheld its expanded ban on assault weapons.<ref name=Spector131231/> As of April 2014 that decision was under appeal, and another challenge, that the bill was improperly fast-tracked, was dismissed by a trial-level judge. The plaintiff said that he will take that decision to the [[New York Court of Appeals]].<ref name=Klepper140416/>
Non-compliance with this new law has been reported in New York. Frank Miniter wrote in an April 2014 ''[[Forbes]]'' [[op-ed]] that one million residents own "assault weapons" and "high-capacity magazines" (which he says are political terms). He wrote that many had decided to practice civil disobedience and not register their weapons, a class A misdemeanor with a potential sentence of one year in prison.<ref name=Miniter140413/> ''USA Today'' reported that some owners threatened not to register their weapons, and that some chose to bypass registration by modifying or selling them before the April 15 deadline. State police say they cannot report how many people have registered. By law, they must keep their database of assault weapon owners private.<ref name=Campbell140413/>
===Maryland===
Late on April 4, 2013, the [[Maryland General Assembly]] passed Governor [[Martin O'Malley]]'s gun control bill, the Firearm Safety Act of 2013. It bans the purchase of 45 types of assault weapons and limits gun magazines to 10 rounds. It requires handgun licensing and fingerprinting for new gun owners, and bans those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility from buying a gun.<ref name=Jackson130405/>
On November 21, 2023, a three-judge panel in the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit|Fourth Circuit]] voted 2–1 to strike down the handgun licensing requirement, in light of a 2022 Supreme Court decision broadening the interpretation of the Second Amendment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 21, 2023 |title=MSI v. Moore Appellate Opinion |url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca4.164615/gov.uscourts.ca4.164615.58.0.pdf |access-date=November 25, 2023}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=ABCNews121219>{{cite news |last1=Tapper |first1=Jake |last2=Dwyer |first2=Devin |last3=Bruce |first3=Mary |date=December 19, 2012 |title=President Obama Launches Gun-Violence Task Force |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/president-obama-launches-gun-violence-task-force/story?id=18015694 |work=ABC News |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417102621/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/president-obama-launches-gun-violence-task-force/story?id=18015694 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Barron121215>{{cite news |last=Barron |first=James |date=December 15, 2012 |title=Children Were All Shot Multiple Times With a Semiautomatic, Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/nyregion/gunman-kills-20-children-at-school-in-connecticut-28-dead-in-all.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=April 12, 2014 |archive-date=December 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216184847/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/nyregion/gunman-kills-20-children-at-school-in-connecticut-28-dead-in-all.html |url-status=live  |url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=October 2023}}</ref>
<ref name=BBC130108>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=January 8, 2013 |title=Gabrielle Giffords launches gun control campaign |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20949405#TWEET509719 |work=BBC |access-date=June 16, 2014 |archive-date=September 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925142410/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20949405#TWEET509719 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!--ref name=Block131211>{{cite news |last=Block |first=Melissa |date=December 11, 2013 |title=In The Year After Newtown Shooting, Most States Relaxed Gun Laws |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=250283815 |type=transcript |publisher=NPR |access-date=April 15, 2013 }}</ref-->
<ref name=Bruce121214>{{cite news |last=Bruce |first=Mary |date=December 14, 2012 |title=Petition Calls on White House to Address Gun Control |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/petition-calls-for-white-house-to-address-gun-control/ |work=ABC News |access-date=April 16, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807014722/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/12/petition-calls-for-white-house-to-address-gun-control/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Campbell140413>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Jon |date=April 13, 2014 |title=Deadline leaves N.Y. gun owners with a choice |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/13/ny-safe-act-assault-weapons/7671183/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=March 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321082411/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/13/ny-safe-act-assault-weapons/7671183/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Candiotti-Ford121216>{{cite news |last1=Candiotti |first1=Susan |last2=Ford |first2=Dana |date=December 16, 2012 |title=Connecticut school victims were shot multiple times |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html |publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=December 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216004836/http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/15/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Chebium130124>{{cite news |last=Chebium |first=Raju |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Feinstein wants public's help to pass assault weapons ban |url=http://www.news10.net/story/news/2014/01/21/4718319/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140418031154/http://www.news10.net/story/news/2014/01/21/4718319/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2014 |agency=Gannett Washington Bureau |publisher=NEWS10 }}</ref>
<ref name=CNNLib131026>{{cite news |date=October 26, 2013 |title=25 Deadliest Mass Shootings in U.S. History Fast Facts |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/20-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-u-s-history-fast-facts/ |publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414080439/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/20-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-u-s-history-fast-facts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=ConnorIsikoff>{{cite news |last1=Connor |first1=Tracy |last2=Isikoff |first2=Michael |date=December 21, 2012 |title=Disbelief in some quarters after NRA calls for armed guards at every school, blames movies |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/21/16069016-disbelief-in-some-quarters-after-nra-calls-for-armed-guards-at-every-school-blames-movies |publisher=NBCNews.com |access-date=June 16, 2014 |archive-date=January 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122222013/http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/21/16069016-disbelief-in-some-quarters-after-nra-calls-for-armed-guards-at-every-school-blames-movies |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=CSPAN130124>{{cite AV media |people=Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rev. Gary Hall, Rep. [[Carolyn McCarthy]] |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Assault Weapons Ban Bill |medium=video |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?310581-1/assault-weapons-ban-bill |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=National Cable Satellite Corporation |access-date=April 13, 2014 |display-authors=etal |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414123201/http://www.c-span.org/video/?310581-1/assault-weapons-ban-bill |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!--ref name=DeLuca130302>{{cite news |last=DeLuca |first=Matthew |date=March 2, 2013 |title=After Newtown, states slow to embrace new gun laws |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/02/17151151-after-newtown-states-slow-to-embrace-new-gun-laws?lite|publisher=NBCNews.com |access-date=April 15, 2013 }}</ref-->
<!--ref name=Drash-Lyles130608>{{cite news |last1=Drash |first1=Wayne |last2=Lyles |first2=Toby |date=June 8, 2013 |title=States tighten, loosen gun laws after Newtown |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/08/us/gun-laws-states/index.html|publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=April 15, 2013 }}</ref-->
<ref name=Effron121214>{{cite news |title=Mass School Shootings: A History |author=Effron, Lauren |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-school-shootings-history/story?id=17975571 |work=ABC News |date=December 14, 2012 |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=February 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219014902/http://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-school-shootings-history/story?id=17975571 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=FoxNews130314>{{cite news |date=March 14, 2013 |title=Senate committee approves assault weapons ban |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-committee-approves-assault-weapons-ban/ |website=[[Fox News]] |publisher=Fox News Network |access-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416184649/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/14/senate-committee-ready-to-ok-assault-weapons-ban/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Freedman130124>{{cite news |last=Freedman |first=Dan |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Feinstein offers new assault weapons ban |url=https://www.chron.com/default/article/Feinstein-offers-new-assault-weapons-ban-4221873.php |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=January 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101033010/http://www.chron.com/default/article/Feinstein-offers-new-assault-weapons-ban-4221873.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Haar140210>{{cite news |last=Haar |first=Dan |date=February 10, 2014 |title=Dan Haar: Untold Thousands Flout Gun Registration Law |url=https://www.courant.com/2014/02/10/dan-haar-untold-thousands-flout-gun-registration-law-2/ |newspaper=Courant |location=Hartford, Connecticut |publisher=Hartford Courant |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412172712/http://articles.courant.com/2014-02-10/business/hc-haar-gun-registration-felons-20140210_1_assault-weapons-rifles-gun-registration-law |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Hartmann130403>{{cite journal |last=Hartmann |first=Margaret |date=April 3, 2013 |title=Post-Newtown, States Passed More Gun-Rights Laws, Not Restrictions |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/post-newtown-states-loosen-gun-restrictions.html |journal=New York Magazine |access-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181105/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/post-newtown-states-loosen-gun-restrictions.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Horwitz130116>{{cite news |last=Horwitz |first=Sari |date=January 16, 2013 |title=NRA planning 'the fight of the century' against Obama |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/01/16/nra-planning-the-fight-of-the-century-against-obama/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=April 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420085147/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/01/16/nra-planning-the-fight-of-the-century-against-obama/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!--ref name=Horwitz130731>{{cite news |last=Horwitz |first=Sari |date=July 31, 2013 |title=Senate confirms ATF director for first time since 2006 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senate-confirms-atf-director/2013/07/31/dc9b0644-fa09-11e2-8752-b41d7ed1f685_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802135501/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senate-confirms-atf-director/2013/07/31/dc9b0644-fa09-11e2-8752-b41d7ed1f685_story.html |archive-date=August 2, 2013 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{Paywall|date=October 2023}}</ref-->
<ref name=Jackson130405>{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Alex |date=April 5, 2013 |title=Maryland lawmakers send landmark gun control bill to O'Malley's desk |url=http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/government/maryland-lawmakers-send-landmark-gun-control-bill-to-o-malley/article_0b697063-acf8-508e-adf9-b07ea4fb6c8d.html |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=CapitalGazette.com |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130407091109/http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/government/maryland-lawmakers-send-landmark-gun-control-bill-to-o-malley/article_0b697063-acf8-508e-adf9-b07ea4fb6c8d.html |archive-date=April 7, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=Klepper140416>{{cite news |last=Klepper |first=David |date=April 16, 2014 |title=Judge upholds New York's tougher gun law |url=http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Judge-upholds-New-York-s-tougher-gun-law-5407111.php |newspaper=Times Union |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Hearst Corporation |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419013745/http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Judge-upholds-New-York-s-tougher-gun-law-5407111.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Kucinich130124>{{cite news |last=Kucinich |first=Jackie |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Democrats reintroduce assault weapons ban |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/01/24/assault-weapons-ban-feinstein-democrats/1861493/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029060404/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/01/24/assault-weapons-ban-feinstein-democrats/1861493/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Landler-Baker121217>{{cite news |last1=Landler |first1=Mark |last2=Baker |first2=Peter |date=December 16, 2012 |title='These Tragedies Must End,' Obama Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/us/politics/bloomberg-urges-obama-to-take-action-on-gun-control.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=May 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501083803/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/us/politics/bloomberg-urges-obama-to-take-action-on-gun-control.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=October 2023}}</ref>
<ref name=LaPierre121221>{{cite news |title=Remarks from the NRA press conference on Sandy Hook school shooting, delivered on Dec. 21, 2012 (Transcript) |last=LaPierre |first=Wayne |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/remarks-from-the-nra-press-conference-on-sandy-hook-school-shooting-delivered-on-dec-21-2012-transcript/2012/12/21/bd1841fe-4b88-11e2-a6a6-aabac85e8036_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |date=December 21, 2012 |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606060408/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/remarks-from-the-nra-press-conference-on-sandy-hook-school-shooting-delivered-on-dec-21-2012-transcript/2012/12/21/bd1841fe-4b88-11e2-a6a6-aabac85e8036_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Levy121221>{{cite news |last=Levy |first=Gabrielle |date=December 21, 2012 |title=Obama responds to gun violence petition |url=http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/12/21/Obama-responds-to-gun-violence-petition/1021356100902/ |publisher=United Press International |type=blog |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112042013/http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/12/21/Obama-responds-to-gun-violence-petition/1021356100902/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=MacAskill-Pilkington>{{cite news |last1=MacAskill |first1=Ewen |last2=Pilkington |first2=Ed |date=January 17, 2013 |title=NRA promises 'fight of the century' over Obama's bold gun control plan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/16/obama-gun-control-plan-nra |newspaper=Guardian |publisher=Guardian News and Media Ltd. |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215085319/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/16/obama-gun-control-plan-nra |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- <ref name=Madhani130110>{{cite news |last=Madhani |first=Aamer |date=January 10, 2013 |title=NRA blasts Biden's gun task force after meeting |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/01/10/biden-nra-wildlife-gun-control/1823511/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412172858/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/01/10/biden-nra-wildlife-gun-control/1823511/ |url-status=live }}</ref> -->
<ref name=Madhani121226>{{cite news |last=Madhani |first=Aamer |date=December 26, 2012 |title=Gun control poll shows mixed results |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/26/gun-rights-assault-weapons-newtown-shooting/1791827/ |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826093616/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/26/gun-rights-assault-weapons-newtown-shooting/1791827/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Miniter140413>{{cite journal |last=Miniter |first=Frank |date=April 13, 2014 |title=As Many As One Million Armed New Yorkers Are About To Break The Law |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2014/04/13/as-many-as-one-million-armed-new-yorkers-are-about-to-break-the-law/ |journal=Forbes |type=op-ed |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415225648/http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2014/04/13/as-many-as-one-million-armed-new-yorkers-are-about-to-break-the-law/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=New121214>{{cite news |last=New |first=Catherine |date=December 14, 2012 |title=Anti-Gun Donations Surge After Connecticut Shooting |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/anti-gun-donations-surge-connecticut-shooting_n_2303632.html |work=The Huffington Post |access-date=June 16, 2014 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714170609/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/anti-gun-donations-surge-connecticut-shooting_n_2303632.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=ObamaStmt121214>{{cite AV media |people=Barack Obama |date=December 14, 2012 |title=President Obama Makes a Statement on the Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut |medium=video |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/12/14/president-obama-makes-statement-shooting-newtown-connecticut |location=Washington, D.C. |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=July 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716072113/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/12/14/president-obama-makes-statement-shooting-newtown-connecticut |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Rucker-Wallsten130119>{{cite news |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |last2=Wallsten |first2=Peter |date=January 19, 2013 |title=Biden's gun task force met with all sides, but kept its eye on the target |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bidens-gun-task-force-met-with-all-sides-but-kept-its-eye-on-the-target/2013/01/19/520d77a6-60c5-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=October 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005133826/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bidens-gun-task-force-met-with-all-sides-but-kept-its-eye-on-the-target/2013/01/19/520d77a6-60c5-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=October 2023}}</ref>
<ref name=Saad121227>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/159569/americans-stricter-gun-laws-oppose-bans.aspx |title=Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws, Still Oppose Bans |last=Saad |first=Lydia |date=December 27, 2012 |website=gallup.com |publisher=Gallup Inc. |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619221027/http://www.gallup.com/poll/159569/americans-stricter-gun-laws-oppose-bans.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Seiler130116>{{cite news |last=Seiler |first=Casey |date=January 16, 2013 |title=New gun law offers reply to mass killings: State becomes the first in the nation to act after horror of Newtown, Conn. |url=http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/New-gun-law-offers-reply-to-mass-killings-4195504.php |newspaper=Times Union |location=Albany, New York |publisher=Hearst Corporation |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417083902/http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/New-gun-law-offers-reply-to-mass-killings-4195504.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Simon130417>{{cite news |last=Simon |first=Richard |date=April 17, 2013 |title=Senate votes down Feinstein's assault weapons ban |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-dianne-feinstein-assault-weapons-vote-20130417,0,5349684.story |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054721/http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-dianne-feinstein-assault-weapons-vote-20130417,0,5349684.story |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Spector131231>{{cite news |last=Spector |first=Joseph |date=December 31, 2013 |title=Federal court upholds N.Y. ban on assault weapons |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/31/federal-court-upholds-ny-assault-weapons-ban/4266385/ |newspaper=USA Today |agency=Gannett Albany Bureau |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417182405/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/31/federal-court-upholds-ny-assault-weapons-ban/4266385/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Steinhauer130314>{{cite news |last=Steinhauer |first=Jennifer |date=March 14, 2013 |title=Party-Line Vote in Senate Panel for Ban on Assault Weapons |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/us/politics/panel-approves-reinstatement-of-assault-weapons-ban.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-date=May 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531150634/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/us/politics/panel-approves-reinstatement-of-assault-weapons-ban.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=October 2023}}</ref>
<!-- Preserve for straw purchasing measure and grant program for school security
<ref name=Steinhauer130319>{{cite news |last=Steinhauer |first=Jennifer |date=March 19, 2013 |title=Senator Is Angry Over Bill’s Exclusion of Assault Gun Ban |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/us/politics/senate-gun-bill-will-exclude-assault-weapons-ban.html |newspaper=New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319231018/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/us/politics/senate-gun-bill-will-exclude-assault-weapons-ban.html |archive-date=March 19, 2013 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{Paywall|date=October 2023}}</ref>
-->
<ref name=Warren130417>{{cite news |last=Warren |first=James |date=April 17, 2013 |title=Sen. Dianne Feinstein says Daily News 'SHAME ON U.S.' front page 'carries the message' of assault weapons ban |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sen-dianne-feinstein-daily-news-shame-u-s-front-page-carries-message-assault-weapons-ban-article-1.1319174 |newspaper=New York Daily News |access-date=April 15, 2014 |archive-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416205842/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sen-dianne-feinstein-daily-news-shame-u-s-front-page-carries-message-assault-weapons-ban-article-1.1319174 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Wing121217>{{cite news |last=Wing |first=Nick |date=December 17, 2012 |title=White House Gun Control Petition Becomes Site's Most Popular Ever |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/white-house-gun-control_n_2317189.html |publisher=Huffington Post |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414081551/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/white-house-gun-control_n_2317189.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=NYT-WHProposal130116>{{cite news |date=January 16, 2013 |title=What's in Obama's Gun Control Proposal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/16/us/obama-gun-control-proposal.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221133649/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/16/us/obama-gun-control-proposal.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=WHNow-full>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf |title=Now Is the Time: Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions |date=January 16, 2013 |website=[[White House]] |publisher=The White House |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606050438/http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=WHNow-site>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence |title=Now Is the Time |date=January 16, 2013 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=January 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120214835/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=WSJ130116>{{cite news |last1=Meckler |first1=Laura |last2=Nicholas |first2=Peter |last3=Nelson |first3=Colleen McCain |date=January 16, 2013 |title=Obama's Gun Curbs Face a Slog in Congress |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323968304578245720749827656 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |publisher=Dow Jones & Company |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=July 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706214711/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323968304578245720749827656 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name=Summary121226>{{cite web |title=Summary of 2013 Feinstein Assault Weapons Legislation |url=http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=10993387-5d4d-4680-a872-ac8ca4359119|date=December 26, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701133811/http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=10993387-5d4d-4680-a872-ac8ca4359119 |url-status=live }} Two-page summary of bill points from four weeks before it was introduced to Senate. Unpublished.</ref>
}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s150/text |title=S. 150: Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 |last=Feinstein |first=Dianne |date=January 24, 2013 |website=govtrack.us}}
*{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Philip J. |last2=Goss |first2=Kristin A. |author-link2=Kristin Goss |year=2014 |title=The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sYc3AwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-933898-6}}
*DeBrabander, Firmin (2018).  Audio book: ''[https://www.audible.com/pd/Nonfiction/Do-Guns-Make-Us-Free-Audiobook/B07CGF7RHM Do Guns Make Us Free? Democracy and the Armed Society.]'' Yale University Press.  {{ASIN|B07CGH7R79}}
[[Category:2010s in the United States]]
[[Category:2012 beginnings]]
[[Category:Gun politics in the United States]]
[[Category:Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]]
[[Category:United States firearms law]]