Lawmakers talk about gun laws on Parkland Shooting Anniversary

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO): Here in South Carolina we know the pain of a mass shooting after the Charleston 9 in 2015. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about gun laws in the state and if anything needs to be done.

More than a dozen groups from all over South Carolina rallied together at the Statehouse to end gun violence.

“We don’t want to wait until we have the type of mass shooting we’ve seen in other states. We’ve already seen that in a church in Charleston at Mother Emanuel. We don’t want to see it pervasive across our state,” Rep. Wendy Brawley, (D) Richland, said. 

The Coalition Against Gun Violence includes groups like S.C. Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Faith Coalition Against Gun Violence, members from MOMS Demand Action and Richland County Law Enforcement.  

“They understand and believe in and think that the second amendment should be protected. It’s a constitutional right. But they also know with every right, comes responsibility,” Brawley said. 

The legislation proposed would require school resource officers in every school, ban the sale of high capacity magazines and bump stocks, and close the Charleston Loophole by making background checks more comprehensive. Governor Henry McMaster said protecting schools from gun violence is a top priority on his list this legislative session.

“The main thing to stop gun violence is to have a trained uniformed certified school law enforcement officer any time there are children at that school,” McMaster said.

“This makes me feel so good. It’s outstanding. It’s just like I won the lottery. Thank you, thank you,” Roberta McKelvin said. McKelvin is happy gun legislation is being talked about after she lost her son to gun violence in November 2013. She said it makes it feel like the hard work she’s been putting in since her son’s death is finally paying off.  

We did reach out to some lawmakers who are in favor of laws that aren’t as strict, but they said on a day of remembrance it was inappropriate to have those conversations.