One of the few remaining Democratic congressman opposed to sweeping gun control measures has abruptly reversed course after a mass shooting in his Maine constituency.
Until a gunman killed 18 people on Wednesday in his hometown of Lewiston, Jared Golden, 41, said he opposed a ban on semi-automatic weapons.
The Marine Corps veteran now says his previous stance was a "failure".
He represents a largely rural district that twice voted for Donald Trump.
The third-term congressman was elected in 2018, flipping the district to the Democrats.
Since arriving on Capitol Hill, he has broken with his own party to vote against several gun control measures.
He was one of only five Democratic representatives to oppose a planned ban on assault-style weapons that was passed by the House of Representatives in 2022. It did not become law.
"I don't support any version of that," Mr Golden said at the time.
On Thursday, however, Mr Golden said the shooting in Lewiston had forced him to reconsider.
"The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure," he said at a news conference.
"Which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown."
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He asked for "forgiveness" for his previous opposition to gun control.
Mr Golden said he plans to "work with any colleague to get this done in the time that I have left in Congress".
Maine's moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins is calling for more modest gun control - restrictions on high-capacity magazines.
US President Joe Biden urged Republican lawmakers, who control the House, to "fulfil their duty protect the American people".
On Friday, he said what was happening with gun violence was "outrageous".
"Who the hell needs an assault weapon that can hold, in some cases, up to 100 rounds?" he said at an evening fundraiser.
But even when Democrats ran both chambers of Congress in the first two years of the Biden presidency they could not pass such a measure.
As a Senate committee chairman, Mr Biden led the charge to restrict semi-automatic rifles in 1994, but that ban expired after a decade and whether it was actually effective has been debated ever since.
In 2019, Maine passed a "yellow flag" law that allows police officers to petition to have firearms removed from a person they believe to be a threat to themselves or others.
Under the measure, a medical evaluation is required and the person has to be taken into protective custody.
It is narrower in scope than "red flag" laws, which allow family members, teachers and others to do the same.
It is unclear if any petition was ever made regarding the suspect in Wednesday's shooting, who authorities and family members say was suffering from acute mental health issues.
The Portland Press Herald, a local newspaper, reported that the yellow flag law has been used 58 times in three years.
Americans' right to bear firearms is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.
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During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages.
Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here.
Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section.
What happens at the end of my trial?
If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month.
For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial.
You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.
Any changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel.
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Maine police report seven killed at bowling alley, eight at restaurant in mass shooting
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The manhunt to catch Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card has now entered its third day after a dramatic raid on his home in Bowdoin ended with no arrest and no sign of the US Army Reservist.
On Thursday night, Maine police and FBI agents descended on his home and were heard shouting “FBI! Open the door!”, while members of the media were told to back off with their lights.
The heavy police presence dissipated hours later, with law enforcement officials saying that it had all just been standard procedure to serve a warrant and search the property.
Mr Card is wanted on suspicion of murdering 18 victims and wounding 13 others in mass shootings across two locations on Wednesday night.
Aaron Young, 14, was with his father Bill Young at the bowling alley for an evening with their bowling league, the family said. Both died in the attack.
Children were playing games at a party in a bowling alley.
Locals were drinking and dining at a restaurant.
Residents across Maine are hunkering down in their homes and businesses as the search continues for the US Army Reserve firearms instructor who had allegedly threatened to shoot up a National Guard post and had recently complained about hearing voices, reports Rachel Sharp.
Democratic representative Jared Golden called for a ban on assault weapons on Thursday, 26 October following mass shootings that killed 18 people and wounded 13 more in Maine. During a news conference in Lewiston, Golden said he had previously opposed a ban on what he described as “deadly weapons of war” out of fear for the lives of his family members. “I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war, like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime,” the democrat said. “The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine.”
Fearful Maine residents stay home amid search for suspect in killing of 18 people
Shocked and fearful Maine residents kept to their homes for a second night on Thursday as hundreds of heavily armed police and FBI agents searched intensely for Robert Card, an Army reservist authorities say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in the worst mass killing in state history.
Much of Thursday’s search focused on a property belonging to one of Card’s relatives in rural Bowdoin, where trucks and vans full of armed agents from the FBI and other agencies eventually surrounded a home. Mr Card and anyone else inside were repeatedly ordered to surrender.
But hours later, after repeated announcements and a search, authorities moved off — and it was still unclear whether Mr Card had ever been at the location, state police said.
Richard Goddard, who lives on the road where the search took place, knows the Card family. Robert Card, who is four years younger, knows the terrain well, Mr Goddard said.
“This is is his stomping ground. He grew up here,” he said. “He knows every ledge to hide behind, every thicket.”
April Stevens lives in the same neighbourhood where one of the shootings took place. She turned on all her lights overnight and locked her doors. She knew someone killed at the bar and another person injured who needed surgery.
“We’re praying for everyone,” Mr Stevens said through tears.
The attacks stunned a state of only 1.3 million people that has one of the country’s lowest homicide rates: 29 killings in all of 2022.
In Maine, where 18 people were killed and 13 others were injured during a mass shooting on Wednesday, residents can obtain a firearm without undergoing a background check or waiting period and there are no “red flag” laws in place.
The state, which possesses some extremely relaxed gun laws, is the site of the deadliest mass shooting to occur in the US so far this year.
The suspected gunman, who police have named as 40-year-old Robert Card, entered a bowling alley and then a local restaurant seemingly armed with an AR-15-style rifle to carry out the shooting.
In Maine, anyone 21 or older can conceal carry a handgun without a permit or prior firearm training – people 18 or older can do so if a person is on active duty or honorably discharged from the Armed Forces.
Additionally, the state does not outlaw the possession of semiautomatic weapons.
Republican Senator Susan Collins said at a news conference in Lewiston on Thursday 26 October, that “it is more important that we ban very high-capacity magazines” rather than assault-style weapons after mass shootings killed 18 people and wounded 13 more in Maine. “I think that would have more input and more effectiveness,” Collins said. “What makes this crime so heinous, is in a typical year Maine might have 22 murders, and last night we almost approached the number for the entire year.” At the same news conference, democratic representative Jared Golden called for a ban on assault weapons.
Lewiston Public Schools will be closed on Friday for the second day in a row as the suspect in Wednesday night’s mass shooting remains at large.
“We remain in a shelter in place situation,” said Superintendent Jake Langlais in a post on the district’s website. “We will not open buildings or run bus transportation.”
Law enforcement are seen outside the home of suspect Robert Card’s father and brother in Bowdoin, Maine on 26 October 2023
Robert Card: What we know about suspect in Maine mass shooting
Maine law enforcement officials later announced that Robert Card, a 40-year-old Sgt 1st class in the Army Reserve, is wanted as a suspect in the shootings that left 18 dead and 13 others injured.
Here’s what we know so far about the accused gunman:
New House Speaker slammed for offering prayers after mass shooting
After calling it a “horrific tragedy”, here’s what he said to the media on Thursday morning:
“This is a dark time in America, we have a lot of problems and we’re really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can end and this senseless violence can stop. And so that’s that’s the statement this morning on behalf of the entire House of Representatives. Everyone wants this to end and I’ll leave it there.”
Lewiston bar manager identified among 18 victims of Maine shooting
The father of a bar manager in Lewiston identified his son as one of the 18 victims who died in Wednesday’s shooting in Maine.
Leroy Walker, a city council member in Auburn, Maine, told NBC News that state police had confirmed his son Joseph Walker had been killed when a gunman opened fire at two locations in Lewiston, including Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, where he was the bar manager.
A manhunt is underway for the “armed and dangerous” gunman who opened fire at Schemengees bar and in the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley around 7pm on Wednesday night, which left 18 people dead and 13 injured.
Maine police report seven killed at bowling alley, eight at restaurant in mass shooting
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Police say they were attempting to serve a warrant at Robert Card’s home on Thursday night as dramatic scenes unfolded in Maine.
Officers could be heard shouting for someone to come out and walk to the front of the property and TV news crews were asked to switch off their lights.
Officers ordered someone inside to come out of the rural “with nothing in their hands” and that their “safety could be guaranteed.” Armoured trucks eventually left the scene after several hours.
As the manhunt to catch the “armed and dangerous” suspect wanted in connection to two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left 18 people dead and 13 injured, neared its 24th hour, CNN reported loud bangs from the vicinity of Robert Card’s home in the vicinity of Bowdoin.
There was speculation that the noise could have been flash bangs used by police in stand-offs with armed suspects. Shortly after, a video emerged of law enforcement outside a property with a loudhailer heard to announce: “FBI! Open the door!”
An intensive manhunt for 40-year-old Mr Card began and he was formally identified as the suspect in the now active homicide investigation during a press conference on Thursday morning.
Residents across Maine have been sheltered in place since Wednesday night.
Robert Card: What we know about suspect in Maine mass shooting
Maine law enforcement officials later announced that Robert Card, a 40-year-old Sgt 1st class in the Army Reserve, is wanted as a suspect in the shootings that left 18 dead and 13 others injured.
Here’s what we know so far about the accused gunman:
New House Speaker slammed for offering prayers after mass shooting
After calling it a “horrific tragedy”, here’s what he said to the media on Thursday morning:
“This is a dark time in America, we have a lot of problems and we’re really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can end and this senseless violence can stop. And so that’s that’s the statement this morning on behalf of the entire House of Representatives. Everyone wants this to end and I’ll leave it there.”
Lewiston bar manager identified among 18 victims of Maine shooting
The father of a bar manager in Lewiston identified his son as one of the 18 victims who died in Wednesday’s shooting in Maine.
Leroy Walker, a city council member in Auburn, Maine, told NBC News that state police had confirmed his son Joseph Walker had been killed when a gunman opened fire at two locations in Lewiston, including Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, where he was the bar manager.
A manhunt is underway for the “armed and dangerous” gunman who opened fire at Schemengees bar and in the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley around 7pm on Wednesday night, which left 18 people dead and 13 injured.
The father of a bar manager in Lewiston identified his son as one of the 18 victims who died in Wednesday’s shooting in Maine.
Leroy Walker, a city council member in Auburn, Maine, told NBC News that state police had confirmed his son Joseph Walker had been killed when a gunman opened fire at two locations in Lewiston, including Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, where he was the bar manager.
Many people in the community have been waiting on edge to hear whether or not their loved ones have been identified as victims in the shooting.
It took over 14 hours for Mr Walker to be notified about his son, and he said his family was “suffering and dying in a nightmare we don’t understand.”
“None of us slept, we were up all night,” he said. “We didn’t know where to go, who to run to. They didn’t notify any of us.”
Heavily armed police surround home in search for Maine shooting suspect
Heavily armed police surrounded a home on Thursday as they searched for a US Army reservist who authorities say killed 18 people and wounded 13 in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
“You need to come outside now with nothing in your hands. Your hands in the air,” police shouted through a megaphone outside the home owned by suspect Robert Card’s relative near the town of Bowdoin.
Dozens of law enforcement officials had descended on the property, with extended announcements calling for Mr Card and anyone in the home to come out into the driveway.
In most instances when police execute warrants - even for suspects wanted for violent crimes - they move quickly to enter the home.
“The announcements that are being heard over a loudspeaker are standard search warrant announcements when executing a warrant to ensure the safety of all involved,” state police spokesperson Shannon Moss said.
“It is unknown whether Robert Card is in any of the homes law enforcement will search.”
White House calls on new Speaker to find common ground on gun control in wake of Maine tragedy
At today’s White House press conference, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave the following statement ahead of questions from the press corps.
I wanted to start with a word about the horrific news out of Lewiston, Maine last night, where we saw another tragic shooting that has taken at least 18 lives, injured many others and left countless people in grief, shock and trauma.
As the President said in a statement earlier today, he and the First Lady are praying for the victims and their families for those still fighting for their lives. And for the families, survivors and community members reeling from this latest act of gun violence. And importantly, we continue to urge all residents to heed the warnings and guidance of local officials and federal law enforcement are on the ground to assist with the response.
During the state dinner last night, the President was informed and stepped out to receive an initial briefing of the shooting. Later he stepped out to speak with Maine governor Janet Mills as well as senators Collins and King and Congressman Jared Golden. He pledged full federal support in the wake of this horrific tragedy. This morning the President received another briefing on the shooting from senior advisors and he ordered that the US flag be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds out of respect for all the victims as well. So I want to echo the President’s sentiments on this strategy, tragedy and the epidemic of gun violence in general. This is not normal. We cannot accept this. There have been literally hundreds of mass shootings in the last year alone, leaving empty seats at dinner tables across the country and leaving those who survive these heinous acts, both physically and mentally. scarred.
And while we have made progress since the President signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, much more, much more must be done.
And the president has been clear that executive action alone is just not enough.
As the vice president —who oversees the newly established office of gun violence and prevention — stated during today’s state lunch, and I know many of you watched very closely as well, and she said it doesn’t have to be this way.
As our friends in Australia have demonstrated. Again, it does not have to be this way. It’s within Congress’s power to pass legislation that will make our streets safer that will make our community safer that will make our schools safer.
The house has a new speaker who he said he’s ready to get to work and to find common ground. Now is the time, now is the time to find common ground. Let’s work together to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. let’s work together to enact universal background checks, require safe storage of guns, and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals who have no business being armed with a weapon of war.
The president will continue to do everything in his power to protect the American people, to protect our communities to protect our children, and we urge, we urge congressional Republicans to come to the table to come to the table. If there truly is common ground, at this time.
Earlier: Murder warrant issued as victims identified
A warrant has been issued for Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card, 40, after a car that was registered to him was located in a boat landing in Maine.
Maine State Police said at Thursday’s press conference that 18 people were left dead after a mass shooting that began at a bowling alley called Just-in-Time Recreation in Lewiston on Wednesday night and extended to Schemengees Bar and Grill, just four miles away. It marked America’s deadliest mass shooting this year.
Despite the death toll of 18, Maine State Police Colonel William Ross said that Mr Card faces an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder because 10 people have yet to be identified. The number of counts will increase as those identifications are made.
Maine police report seven killed at bowling alley, eight at restaurant in mass shooting
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Police say they were attempting to serve a warrant at Robert Card’s home on Thursday night as dramatic scenes unfolded in Maine.
Officers could be heard shouting for someone to come out and walk to the front of the property and TV news crews were asked to switch off their lights.
Officers ordered someone inside to come out of the rural “with nothing in their hands” and that their “safety could be guaranteed.” Armoured trucks eventually left the scene after several hours.
As the manhunt to catch the “armed and dangerous” suspect wanted in connection to two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left 18 people dead and 13 injured, neared its 24th hour, CNN reported loud bangs from the vicinity of Robert Card’s home in the vicinity of Bowdoin.
There was speculation that the noise could have been flash bangs used by police in stand-offs with armed suspects. Shortly after, a video emerged of law enforcement outside a property with a loudhailer heard to announce: “FBI! Open the door!”
An intensive manhunt for 40-year-old Mr Card began and he was formally identified as the suspect in the now active homicide investigation during a press conference on Thursday morning.
Residents across Maine have been sheltered in place since Wednesday night.
White House calls on new Speaker to find common ground on gun control in wake of Maine tragedy
At today’s White House press conference, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave the following statement ahead of questions from the press corps.
I wanted to start with a word about the horrific news out of Lewiston, Maine last night, where we saw another tragic shooting that has taken at least 18 lives, injured many others and left countless people in grief, shock and trauma.
As the President said in a statement earlier today, he and the First Lady are praying for the victims and their families for those still fighting for their lives. And for the families, survivors and community members reeling from this latest act of gun violence. And importantly, we continue to urge all residents to heed the warnings and guidance of local officials and federal law enforcement are on the ground to assist with the response.
During the state dinner last night, the President was informed and stepped out to receive an initial briefing of the shooting. Later he stepped out to speak with Maine governor Janet Mills as well as senators Collins and King and Congressman Jared Golden. He pledged full federal support in the wake of this horrific tragedy. This morning the President received another briefing on the shooting from senior advisors and he ordered that the US flag be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds out of respect for all the victims as well. So I want to echo the President’s sentiments on this strategy, tragedy and the epidemic of gun violence in general. This is not normal. We cannot accept this. There have been literally hundreds of mass shootings in the last year alone, leaving empty seats at dinner tables across the country and leaving those who survive these heinous acts, both physically and mentally. scarred.
And while we have made progress since the President signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, much more, much more must be done.
And the president has been clear that executive action alone is just not enough.
As the vice president —who oversees the newly established office of gun violence and prevention — stated during today’s state lunch, and I know many of you watched very closely as well, and she said it doesn’t have to be this way.
As our friends in Australia have demonstrated. Again, it does not have to be this way. It’s within Congress’s power to pass legislation that will make our streets safer that will make our community safer that will make our schools safer.
The house has a new speaker who he said he’s ready to get to work and to find common ground. Now is the time, now is the time to find common ground. Let’s work together to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. let’s work together to enact universal background checks, require safe storage of guns, and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals who have no business being armed with a weapon of war.
The president will continue to do everything in his power to protect the American people, to protect our communities to protect our children, and we urge, we urge congressional Republicans to come to the table to come to the table. If there truly is common ground, at this time.
Earlier: Murder warrant issued as victims identified
A warrant has been issued for Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card, 40, after a car that was registered to him was located in a boat landing in Maine.
Maine State Police said at Thursday’s press conference that 18 people were left dead after a mass shooting that began at a bowling alley called Just-in-Time Recreation in Lewiston on Wednesday night and extended to Schemengees Bar and Grill, just four miles away. It marked America’s deadliest mass shooting this year.
Despite the death toll of 18, Maine State Police Colonel William Ross said that Mr Card faces an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder because 10 people have yet to be identified. The number of counts will increase as those identifications are made.
“Law enforcement officials are currently on Meadow Road in Bowdoin to execute several search warrants. The announcements being heard over a loud speaker are standard search warrant announcements when executing a warrant to ensure the safety of all involved,” said Maine State Police on Thursday evening.
Maine officials say they don’t know if Card in house
A Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson, Shannon Moss, told CNN that law enforcement is “not positive Robert Card is in this house,” and that police were “simply doing our due diligence.”
Maine Gun Safety Coalition calls for assault weapons ban
The Maine Gun Safety Coalition grieves with the families and friends who lost loved ones in the mass shooting last night. We watched in horror as the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine happened before our eyes – the result of our weak gun laws. We call on our elected officials tonight to stop bowing to the gun lobby and look squarely at the face of what has happened in Maine’s second largest city. At a minimum, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition believes an assault weapons ban is necessary to try to prevent more such tragedies in our state.
Maine police report seven killed at bowling alley, eight at restaurant in mass shooting
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Police appeared to be making an arrest at Robert Card’s house on Thursday night, according to CNN. Officers could be heard shouting for someone to come out and walk to the front of the property and their crew was asked to switch off their lights.
Officers ordered someone inside to come out of the house “with nothing in their hands” and that their “safety could be guaranteed.”
As a manhunt to catch the “armed and dangerous” suspect wanted in connection to two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left 18 people dead and 13 injured, nears its 24th hour, CNN reports loud bangs from the vicinity of suspect Robert Card’s home in the vicinity of Bowdoin.
There was speculation that the noise could have been flash bangs used by police in stand-offs with armed suspects. Shortly after, a video emerged of law enforcement outside a property with a loudhailer heard to announce: “FBI! Open the door!”
An intensive manhunt for 40-year-old Mr Card began and he was formally identified as the suspect in the now active homicide investigation during a press conference on Thursday morning.
Residents across Maine have been sheltered in place since Wednesday night.
“Law enforcement officials are currently on Meadow Road in Bowdoin to execute several search warrants. The announcements being heard over a loud speaker are standard search warrant announcements when executing a warrant to ensure the safety of all involved,” said Maine State Police on Thursday evening.
Maine officials say they don’t know if Card in house
A Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson, Shannon Moss, told CNN that law enforcement is “not positive Robert Card is in this house,” and that police were “simply doing our due diligence.”
Maine Gun Safety Coalition calls for assault weapons ban
The Maine Gun Safety Coalition grieves with the families and friends who lost loved ones in the mass shooting last night. We watched in horror as the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine happened before our eyes – the result of our weak gun laws. We call on our elected officials tonight to stop bowing to the gun lobby and look squarely at the face of what has happened in Maine’s second largest city. At a minimum, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition believes an assault weapons ban is necessary to try to prevent more such tragedies in our state.
Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card’s sister-in-law has added some colour to the reports of the 40-year-old’s current state of mind.
After US Army reservist Mr Card was accused of killing 18 people on Wednesday night — and while a manhunt for the Bowdoin resident remains underway — Karen Card spoke out about her brother-in-law toThe Daily Beast.
Ms Card, who is married to the suspect’s brother, said that she has known the suspect her “whole life”.
“He is quiet but the most loving, hardworking, and kind person that I know,” she said on Thursday.
“But in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it’s been a struggle.”
Police appear to be making ‘arrest’ at Robert Card’s home
CNN reporting that their crew was ordered to turn off lights, while officers could be heard shouting “...under arrest come out with your hands up.”
Officers could be heard shouting for someone to come out and walk to the front of the property and they ordered a person inside to come out of the house “with nothing in their hands” and that their “safety could be guaranteed.”
Susan Collins says high capacity magazines should be banned
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, told a news conference on Thursday evening that “it is more important that we ban very high-capacity magazines” rather than assault-style weapons.
“I think that would have more input and more effectiveness,” said Ms Collins.
Republican US Senator Susan Collins addresses shooting in Maine
Maine passed a law to try to prevent mass shootings. Some say more is needed after Lewiston killings
Barely four years before a gunman’s deadly rampage in Maine, a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights, the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting like the one Wednesday night that claimed at least 18 lives.
It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat. In a sign of the pro-Second Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said that, while it was a first step toward stronger gun safety measures, the state could save more lives by doing more — like passing a red flag law.
The yellow flag law and permissive gun measures in Maine are coming under greater scrutiny in the aftermath of a massacre that authorities say was carried out by a man who was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this past summer and had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.
It was not clear whether anyone had used the yellow flag law in the suspect’s case, but gun-control advocates seized on the tragedy Thursday to blame the death of 18 people in the shooting as a product of “weak gun laws.”
Congressman says shooting has changed his mind on assault rifles
US Rep Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents Lewiston, told a press conference that his opposition to a ban on assault weapons had been a mistake and he had changed his mind on the issue.
“I have opposed calls to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime,” Mr Golden said.
“The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure,” he said. “Which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing.”
Mr Golden asked for the forgiveness of those who had lost loved ones in the mass shooting and his constituents.
