Politics

Democratic 2020 Hopefuls Quickly Respond To Gilroy Shooting By Reiterating Gun Control

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Several 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls wasted no time calling for action to address gun violence Sunday night after the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

Four people were killed, including the gunman, and 15 were injured after the shooter opened fire as the Northern California garlic festival wound down Sunday evening.

Candidates took to Twitter to offer condolences and reiterate gun control positions — a major issue for 2020 Democrats.

“How many more families will have to lose a loved one before we fix our broken gun laws?” tweeted former Vice President Joe Biden, who said he believes only “smart guns” should be sold, according to Axios.

This violence is not normal. How many more families will have to lose a loved one before we fix our broken gun laws? We must take action, starting with real reform.

Our thoughts are with everyone in Gilroy this evening. Enough is enough. https://t.co/wHqY9RE8Nu

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 29, 2019

“This is a sickening thing to wake up to,” tweeted Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has said he’d like to end the “gun show loophole.”

“Our corrupt political system, which is controlled by the gun lobby, has a lot of waking up to do. Let’s get serious about gun control,” Sanders added.

California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted a similar message: “Simply horrific. I’m grateful to the first responders who are on the scene in Gilroy, and my thoughts are with that community tonight. Our country has a gun violence epidemic that we cannot tolerate.”

Harris, who says she owns a gun, has said she would use the power of executive orders to enact a number of gun reforms, including the ban of “assault weapons.”

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said “the gun violence epidemic in this country is out of control” in a tweet.

We’re still waiting on all the details from Gilroy, but my heart is already breaking for the victims and their families and the survivors. The gun violence epidemic in this country is out of control. Please be safe and take care of one another. https://t.co/lrOA0gh6VD

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) July 29, 2019

Booker has called for federal licensing of all firearms and vowed to fight the NRA “like it’s never seen before,” according to Fox News.

Beto O’Rourke also chimed in, tweeting a message to “all who are hurting” by the “40,000 gun deaths in America each year.” O’Rourke has previously called for universal background checks and opposes concealed-carry permit reciprocity.