Lawmakers call for gun control

Noting the state Legislature’s leadership in approving more stringent gun control policies, Mullin said he believed additional work needs to be done to assure public safety.

“I was saddened that gun violence hit close to home when a shooter opened fire at YouTube in San Bruno ... ,” Mullin said in a prepared statement. “While California already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, there is still more that must be done to deal with what has become an all too often occurrence.”

Speier shared a similar sentiment in a prepared statement.

“Unfortunately, gun violence incidents at workplaces, schools, places of worship or entertainment have become all too common. We cannot accept this as normal. We must take action to end gun violence,” she said.

His federal counterparts stand to benefit from the vision of state lawmakers on issues surrounding guns, said Mullin.

“California will continue to act, yet our efforts will have limited success unless Congress finally heeds the overwhelming public support for common sense gun control policies,” he said.

The comments come following Nasim Aghdam invading YouTube’s campus on Cherry Avenue, Tuesday, April 3, and shooting three people with a handgun, before turning the weapon on herself. Aghdam apparently was motivated by anger at the company for filtering some of the videos she uploaded.

For Mullin, a primary focus of future efforts should be assault style weapons, echoing the calls of those seeking restrictions on availability of weapons such as the AR-15, which has been frequently used in mass shootings such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy in Florida.

He also advocated for improved access to mental health resources, in an effort to assist those who could act violently if undiagnosed and untreated. The two efforts in tandem could go far to lessening gun violence, he said.

“Mental health challenges coupled with easy access to assault style weapons, has led to staggering acts of violence and destruction,” he said. “We must do more to improve access to mental health services.”

Such pushes are aligned with heightened efforts of local residents and students who participated in marches and protests seeking gun control reforms. Last month, students across the county walked out of class in solidarity with the national movement to increase school campus security, following the Parkland, Florida shooting.

The protests pre-empted March For Our Lives rallies, in which gun control advocates across the nation protested in favor of heightened security measures around firearms.

In the immediate wake of the YouTube shooting, San Bruno City Manager Connie Jackson also acknowledged the threat posed by gun violence coming to the Peninsula.

“It is frightening. The gun violence that is being perpetrated throughout the United States is terrifying for all of us. Thankfully, this incident resolved quickly and with fewer injuries than we’ve experienced elsewhere in the United States and we are grateful for that. But clearly this is an issue that requires national attention, and we in San Bruno are obviously feeling the brunt of that,” she said.

For his part, Mullin pledged leadership to address such concerns.

“Preventing future shooting incidents will not be a ‘one size fits all’ solution. It will require engagement by individuals with divergent opinions who are ready and willing to work together in the best interest of our communities,” he said. “My colleagues and I in Sacramento will do everything we can do to bring people together who are committed to finding a solution to this serious public health problem.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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