Oregon shooting sheriff wrote anti-gun control letter to White House after Sandy Hook massacre

By Fusion Staff  |  October 2, 2015 | 2:03pm
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Following Thursday’s mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, which left the gunman and nine others dead and more injured, the country met Douglas County sheriff John Hanlin, most notably as he refused to mention the shooter by name so as to not sensationalize him.

Two years ago, Hanlin gained some attention for a different reason: In 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut, Hanlin was one of hundreds of sheriffs around the country to write the White House and urge them to avoid new gun control legislation. “Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,” Hanlin wrote at the time.

You can read his full letter below:

Last night, President Obama told assembled reporters at the White House that the country needed “common sense” legislation for guns because “our thoughts and prayers are not enough.” Of course, if Congress and elected representatives in state legislatures paid attention to what their constituents wanted, these laws might already be on the books.

[H/T Mother Jones]

David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: [email protected]

 
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