[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21538]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRAGEDY STRIKES AGAIN

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it is unfortunate that it sometimes seems 
to require high profile tragic school shootings to focus the Nation's 
attention on the easy access to guns by young adults and children. 
Sadly, we find ourselves once again examining the subject in the 
aftermath of not one, but two shootings.
  On April 27, 1999, we paused in the Senate to observe a moment of 
silence in tribute to those who died at Columbine High School and to 
express our sympathy for their loved ones. Since that tragedy, tens of 
thousands of people have been killed by guns and, according to the 
Brady Campaign, there is an unlocked gun in one of every eight family 
homes.
  On September 13, 2006, a 25-year-old-man opened fire in the cafeteria 
at Dawson College in Montreal, Canada. He began firing randomly at 
students killing one and injuring 19 others. Five of those injured are 
in critical condition. Wielding a rapid-fire rifle in addition to two 
other weapons, the shooter walked through the halls of the college 
shooting indiscriminately. Prior to the incident, the shooter had 
openly expressed his fondness for the events surrounding the 1999 
slaughter at Columbine High School. While this episode took place in 
Canada, similar incidences have occurred all too frequently in the 
United States.
  On September 17, 2006, five Duquesne University basketball players 
were shot while leaving a school dance. So far, two young men have been 
arraigned on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, 
criminal conspiracy and weapons-related offenses. A 19-year-old woman 
has been arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, carrying a 
firearm without a license and criminal conspiracy. One player, remains 
in critical condition with one bullet and fragments of another in his 
head.
  It is impossible to come to terms with these or any of the other 
shooting tragedies that have claimed the lives of far too many young 
people. Yet after such tragedies, we ask ourselves if they might have 
been prevented. The answer, of course, at least in part is yes. 
Congress can and must work to keep guns out of the hands of young 
people.
  What will it take to pass legislation that requires firearms to be 
sold or transferred with storage or safety devices? What will it take 
to pass child access prevention legislation, which would require adults 
to store firearms safely and securely in places that are reasonably 
inaccessible to children? Congress and the President should work to 
enact these and other common-sense gun safety reforms that will keep 
our young people alive and safe.

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