Assault Weapons, Weak Gun Laws Enable Dangerous People Like The Alabama Man Who Killed 10

Washington, D.C. – Alabama killer Michael McLendon fired more than 200 rounds from his military-style semiautomatic assault weapons. He lived in a state that has pathetically weak guns laws: In the Brady Campaign’s recent state scorecards, Alabama earned a score of 15 out of 100. Assault weapons were banned under federal law until four years ago.

McLendon shot complete strangers, women, children, dogs and his own mother before taking his own life. He had an SKS assault rifle, a Bushmaster assault rifle and a 38 caliber handgun.

 Alabama has the fifth-highest gun death rate in America, including the third-highest rate of gun homicide.

“This man needed the firepower of assault weapons to execute his plan of mass carnage. Alabama, and our nation, must take action to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” said PaulHelmke, President of the Brady Campaign.

To learn more about prominent U.S. shootings with multiple victims, see the Brady Campaign’s listing at http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/pdf/major-shootings.pdf.