Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the Christian school shooting in Nashville to call for the renewal of the so-called assault weapons ban signed into law by her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, in the 1990s.
Clinton tweeted Tuesday, “We had an assault weapons ban from 1994-2004 that prohibited the manufacture or sale for civilian use of certain semi-automatic weapons and banned magazines with 10 rounds or more.”
“Mass shootings dropped during that decade. We did it once and should do it again,” she added.
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec responded, “Did that stop Columbine?”
Did that stop Columbine? https://t.co/3lPcO7rLxT
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) March 28, 2023
The 1999 Columbine High School shooting outside of Denver killed 13 people and injured 24 others. It was one of the worst disasters in US history.
Shotguns, handguns, and semi-automatic weapons were used by the assailants.
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas couldn’t even define an “assault weapon.”
He used the AK-47 as an example of a weapon that can be fired in fully automatic mode.
Finally, he referred to the 1994 ban, claiming that it clearly defines an assault weapon.
Alejandro Mayorkas says he agrees with the Joe Biden about banning assault weapons, but can’t define what is an “assault weapon”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 28, 2023
According to the Justice Department, the legislation made the manufacture, sale, and possession of specific makes and models of “military-style semiautomatic firearms” illegal, as well as the possession of most large-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds.
The DOJ did note that these types of weapons were rarely used in gun crimes before and after the ban.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro tweeted a chart in 2017 showing that the murder rate in the United States had been trending down for decades, despite significant increases in gun ownership.
Notably, after the assault weapons ban expired in 2004, the rate remained low and then fell even further.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro tweeted a chart in 2017 showing that the murder rate in the United States had been trending down for decades, despite significant increases in gun ownership.
Notably, after the assault weapons ban expired in 2004, the rate remained low and then fell even further.
Here is a chart of American gun ownership and American murder rate. Please explain how more guns inevitably means more murder. pic.twitter.com/TVOJZe2BTi
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 3, 2017
The assailant in the Nashville shooting at The Covenant School on Monday used two semi-automatic rifles and one 9 mm handgun.
Hale fired a number of rounds inside the Covenant Church/School building. She was armed with these 3 guns and significant ammunition. pic.twitter.com/3LYOU2r0sh
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023
The rifles clearly had higher capacity magazines than the 1994 ban would have allowed, but with six people killed at the school, the number of rounds available to the shooter was probably unimportant.
Nashville appears to be another instance in which leftists, such as Clinton, made the obligatory knee-jerk call for a “assault weapons” ban, but it is unlikely to have changed the outcome of the incident.
As was the case at Columbine, anyone with a murderous intent can carry it out with the weapons at their disposal.