Brown said “it’s a sad day when the U.S. Senate doesn’t have the votes to pass an idea supported by nearly 90 percent of Americans. Universal background checks ensure responsible gun ownership and protect the second amendment, our children, and our communities.”
They voted as survivors of mass shootings sat in the gallery. One shouted “Shame on you!” when it was clear the measure would be defeated.
Erica Lafferty, who lost her mother, Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung, in the Newtown shootings, said she expected the amendment to go down. Many senators, she said, told her that background checks would not have stopped her mother from being killed.
“It’s not going to bring my mom back. I get that,” she said. “But background checks might make sure another 27 year old doesn’t have to get married in two months without a mom.”
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