Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg rolled out his gun control plan in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday after meeting with family members of victims of gun violence. The town was the scene of the 2012 shooting in a movie theater that resulted in 12 deaths and over 70 injuries.
The former New York City mayor has been a long-time supporter for strict gun control laws and dug into his personal fortune to start groups such as Mayor Against Illegal Guns, which is now known as Everytown for Gun Safety.
Bloomberg's gun control plan includes:
- Universal background checks.
- Banning "assault weapons" and "high-capacity magazines."
- Raising the age to purchase any type of firearm to 21.
- A two day waiting period for gun purchases.
- Implementing a nationwide permitting system that people would need to obtain first before purchasing a firearm.
- A central system for sales records to identify "crime guns" and notify local police when individuals have been prohibited from having a gun.
- Allowing for an extreme risk screening before guns are purchased.
- Banning all guns in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities – except for law enforcement.
"I know critics will say that Americans shouldn't need a permit to exercise their constitutional rights, but voting is a constitutional right and we require people to register," he said at the event in Aurora.
"As president, I’ll tackle the crisis like a true national emergency. I’ll make it harder for criminals to get guns, make communities safer, [and] work to end the gun violence epidemic once and for all," Bloomberg further tweeted.
Bloomberg's campaign also released a video on Thursday to highlight his gun proposals.