Last week's movie theater shooting in Colorado prompts a push for stricter gun laws. It's an ongoing debate that has people across the country and here in Lima speaking out.
At Ottawa Ordinance gunsmith Karl Beining knows guns and knows all about gun laws. He calls the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting a tragedy, but says stricter gun laws won't prevent another massacre in the future.
"Anywhere there are strict gun laws criminals still have guns, and they can still get guns," Beining said.
A group of nine major police leadership organizations disagrees. On Thursday the group called for congress to pass legislation expanding background checks for firearm purchases and banning high capacity ammunition magazines. The group says the change will help prevent future massacres.
"If you nothing other than preventing someone from getting a high capacity magazine beyond 10 you would make the assault weapon instantly nugatory and useless for slaughtering massive amounts of people at one time," the groups spokesperson said.
Although the shooter in the Colorado massacre bought all his guns legally, Lima Police Chief Kevin Martin believes the current laws don't need to be changed.
"If the criminal wants a gun the criminal is still going to get a gun. I think that Ohio has some very common sense laws in place already. In most cases those work," Chief Martin said.
Beining believes outlawing high capacity ammunition will upset many gun owners.
"It would certainly make a lot of people mad; they can do just as much damage with one as the other," Beining said.
Both President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney have both said they will not push for stricter gun regulation this election year.
