Congress must act now to block access to semiautomatic weapons: Ex-CIA chief

A former director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Brennan, has called on US lawmakers to pass legislation “to prevent access to semiautomatic weapons."

Brennan said on Thursday, a day after a bloody shooting incident at a South Florida high school, that it was imperative to address the “scourge of gun violence in the US.

The Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland left 17 people dead and 14 others injured.

PressTV-At least 17 dead in Florida school shooting

At least 17 people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at a high school in the US state of Florida.

Brennan, who said he had spent much of his career working in counter-terrorism, insisted that cutting access to semiautomatic guns was the only way to prevent gun violence.

“It is imperative that we devote equal energy and effort to addressing the scourge of gun violence in our country. Congress needs to act now to prevent access to semiautomatic weapons that kill innocents,” Brennan tweeted.

His tweet comes as Democrats step up their calls for Congress and US President Donald Trump to take tougher legislative action against guns.

However, a while after the shooting Trump suggested that instead of tougher gun control measures, the “issue of mental health” of gun owners should be tackled.

Reports said the Florida shooter, Nikolas Cruz, had been described as “mentally disturbed".

Trump vowed that in order to create a safer environment for children he would work with the nation’s leaders “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.”

The United States has more guns than any other country -- estimated to be around 310 million -- which is about one gun per person.

The society, however, is deeply polarized over the gun issue.

A large group of Americans are saying that because guns are the tool of gun violence, they should be banned.

According to this group, blaming gun violence on "mentally disturbed" people is an irresponsible approach to this issue.

PressTV-Trump endorsed by US gun lobby

The NRA says American gun enthusiasts should support Donald Trump.

The gun lobby -- led by a civil rights organization named the National Rifle Association (NRA) supported by the Republicans -- defends gun ownership based on the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protecting the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

They rise from the arms industry, promote gun ownership and support a screening process which has proven to be hugely unreliable.

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