Ralph Northam Plans War on Guns After Democrats Take Virginia Legislature

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) plans a war on guns after Democrats assume their newly elected positions and take control of his state’s legislature.

Northam introduced a number of gun controls following the May 31, 2019, Virginia Beach shooting in which 12 people were shot and killed with guns that were legally acquired. The gun control push failed to survive Republican opposition, but Northam sees hope for more Second Amendment restrictions now that Democrats will be in control.

Northam told CNN he will push universal background checks, as well as bans on “high volume magazines,” bump stocks, and more.

Ironically, these gun controls would not have prevented the Virginia Beach shooting. After all, the attacker acquired his guns “legally,” which intimates that he passed a background check, and a “high volume magazine” ban can be defeated by simply carrying more lower capacity magazines. The May 23, 2014, Santa Barbara gunman had 41 ten-round magazines in his car when he carried out his attack.

Moreover, bump stocks had nothing to do with the Virginia Beach attack, and such firearm accessories are already illegal at the federal level.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.