An Oregon lawmaker said he hoped a school shooting that took place Tuesday morning in a town he represents would spur action in Congress on gun control.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D), who represents Oregon’s 3rd District, made a call for universal background checks on gun buyers after reports that a gunman killed at least one student at Reynolds High School in the city of Troutdale. The shooter is also dead.
{mosads}He was joined by a number of other lawmakers.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also took to Twitter to say that school shootings will continue until Congress passes legislation. He and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal represent the state where a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, at an elementary school in the city of Newtown in 2012.
President Obama and congressional Democrats pushed for a package of tougher gun laws last year after the Newtown shooting, including a provision requiring universal background checks. But that effort fizzled out after a compromised package failed to pass the Senate.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said it was meeting with Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader (D) later Tuesday.
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley (D), as well as a number of other lawmakers passed along their prayers after the shooting.