Calling last Friday's school shootings a "wake-up call" to the nation, President Barack Obama announced the formation of a task force to deal with gun violence.
Speaking early Wednesday in Washington, Obama referenced other violence that has happened since Friday's shooting, including the deaths of two police officers in Topeka and the shooting of a Kansas City 4-year-old.
"Each one of these Americans was a victim of the everyday gun violence that takes the lives of more than 10,000 Americans every year, violence that we cannot accept as routine," Obama said.
Obama said Vice President Joe Biden will lead a task force to come up with ways to reduce violence, a panel that will include former Kansas Gov. and current Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
"This is not some Washington commission.? This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside.? This is a team that has a very specific task to pull together real reforms right now," Obama said.
A group of seven members of the U.S. Council on Mayors, including Kansas City Mayor Sly James, sent a list of suggested policy changes to Washington on Tuesday. The suggestions include a law to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that can automatically load dozens of rounds.
"We have not done anything that is logical with regards to certain types of weapons," James said. "We have police being outgunned by 18-year-olds with Uzis." ?
The United States used to have a ban on the sale of new assault weapons, but it was not renewed when it expired several years ago.
The suggestions also include strengthening background checks for gun purchases and increasing penalties for people who lie on gun purchase applications.
Obama said he wants the panel to report back with some ideas within a month, a report that will likely become the basis for proposals sent to Congress.
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