Maine Rep Reverses Stance on Assault Weapons Ban After Mass Shooting

Maine Rep. Jared Golden changed his mind on a federal assault weapons ban after a devastating mass shooting in Lewiston left 18 people dead and 13 others injured.

At a news conference Thursday evening, Mr. Golden — a conservative Democrat — admitted he made an “error in judgment” in voting against legislation banning assault weapons last year.

“Among other misconceptions, I opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to commit this crime. Now is the time for me to take responsibility for this failure,” Mr. Golden said before calling on Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used in the shooting.

“For the sake of my community, I will work with any colleague to achieve this in my remaining time in Congress,” he added.

Mr. Golden asked his constituents and Lewiston residents for “forgiveness and support” as he advocates for a ban on assault weapons.

Gun control is a controversial topic in the United States that has become politically polarizing, as many conservatives believe that passing stricter legislation will not solve the problem and is a violation of the Second Amendment.

In the wake of mass shootings, conservative leaders often cite mental health issues or a lack of public safety regulations as the catalyst for the events.

After the mass shooting in Maine, many 2024 Republican presidential candidates took this stance — blaming scarce mental health resources for failing to help the suspected shooter before he went on a violent rampage.

Conversely, Democrats and other liberal-leaning individuals believe that easy access to semi-automatic firearms like AR-15-style rifles is the reason mass shootings are prevalent in the United States. United.

In his speech, Mr. Golden said he had “false confidence” that his community was “above” mass shootings and that he “could be in complete control.”

After the news conference, several lawmakers and gun control advocates praised Mr. Golden for changing his views on gun control.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called his words “powerful, courageous and moving”.

Representative Maxwell Frost rented Mr. Golden for taking the “right position” and asking people to donate to his re-election campaign.

Fred Guttenberg, a gun control advocate whose teenage daughter died in the Parkland school shooting, said He was “truly grateful” for Mr. Golden’s apology and called on lawmakers to make changes before a devastating shooting occurred in their community.