High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines: The Common Thread That Runs Through Mass Shootings

High-capacity ammunition magazines are the
common thread that run through most mass shootings, the Violence Policy Center
(VPC) stated today in profiling the guns and ammunition magazines used in 10 of
America's most notorious mass shootings (https://www.vpc.org/fact_sht/VPCshootinglist.pdf).

"The Arizona attack joins a long list
of mass shootings made possible by the easy availability of ammunition
magazines that can hold up to 100 rounds: Columbine, Virginia Tech,
Luby's, Wedgewood Baptist Church, Stockton, and all too many
others," said VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand.

The Violence
Policy Center
is calling on Congress to pass a new law banning the manufacture and sale of
high-capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of
ammunition. Earlier this week, Representative Carolyn McCarthy
(D-NY) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced plans to introduce
legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines. A similar ban on
high-capacity ammunition magazines was in place for 10 years as part of the
now-expired federal assault weapons ban.

Adds Rand, "High-capacity ammunition magazines facilitate mass
shootings by giving attackers the ability to fire numerous rounds without
reloading. An effective ban on high-capacity magazines will help prevent
tragedies like the one that claimed six lives and wounded numerous others last
Saturday. We can save lives in the future with this simple, effective
proposal."

The VPC yesterday released a backgrounder on the Glock 19
pistol and ammunition magazine used in the Arizona attack (see https://www.vpc.org/fact_sht/AZbackgrounder.pdf
for backgrounder).