Mayor Eric Adams is leading a coalition of 62 mayors across the nation in calling for US House Speaker Mike Johnson to pass a ban on assault weapons following the mass shooting in Maine.
During a news conference on Thursday, Adams pointed to the massacre in Lewiston, where 18 people were killed, as the latest example of why the federal government needs to revive its former assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004.
“Eighteen Mainers were stolen from us by yet another disturbed man, wielding an assault rifle that had no business on our streets,” Adams said. “Mass shooting deaths were 70% less likely to occur when the federal prohibition on assault weapons and high capacity magazines was in effect.”
The NYC mayor also noted that in some states, “it’s easier to buy a weapon of war than it is to buy a Sudafed,” adding that the constant presence of mass shootings has invoked fears in movie theaters, concerts, houses of worship and schools.
Adams said the issue was especially worrying in high-population cities like New York, noting that he was troubled by the recent increase in antisemitism worldwide and the ramifications it could have if a gunman with an assault rifle acted in any of the five boroughs.
“When you allow someone with a mental health illness to have access to these assault rifles, it can create a great deal of danger, particularly in an area like New York City that’s densely populated with 8.3 million people, so it’s extremely alarming,” the mayor said.
The letter sent to Johnson’s office ultimately highlights the prevalence of assault weapons in some of the nation’s latest high-profile shootings.
“Of the 10 deadliest mass shootings that have taken place since 2015, eight involved an assault weapon,” the letter reads.
Along with Adams, Highland Park, Illinois, Mayor Nancy Rotering warned that prioritizing freedom to bear arms has left communities across the nation living in fear.
Highland Park was the site of a mass shooting last year that left seven people dead and 48 wounded during a Fourth of July parade.
“It is well past time for Congress to take action. Just as machine guns were banned decades ago, assault weapons need to be taken off of our streets,” she said. “Living with this pervasive threat of mass violence is not freedom.”