The stark differences between the opposing sides of the gun control debate were laid bare on Sunday when a Republican senator said banning 100-round magazines would infringe constitutional rights.
James Holmes, the suspect in last Friday’s shooting at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, is alleged to have used a a semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round magazine. Supporters of gun control want to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines but Ron Johnson, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, told Fox News that he opposed such a move.
“People will talk about unusually lethal weapons, that could be potentially a discussion you could have,” he said. “But the fact is there are 30-round magazines that are just common. You simply can’t keep these weapons out of the hands of sick, demented individuals who want to do harm. And when you try to do it, you restrict our freedoms.”