The officer said he was deeply troubled by last week's shooting, but was not concerned by the fact that such incidents frequently cause firearm sales to surge.
Are they now to be enlisted in the cause of firearms for all?
Anything we can do to end the casualties of war caused by firearms in the United States is worth the effort.
The laureates write: "We believe it imperative for humanity that the number of deaths caused by firearms be reduced.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the number of deaths caused by firearms, it cannot provide other information we need to respond more effectively to this problem.
Researchers from the University of Sydney and Macquarie University analysed data on intentional suicide and homicide deaths caused by firearms from the National Injury Surveillance Unit, and intentional firearm death rates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The series of fatalities caused by firearms – which citizens are permitted to possess in the US – have sparked concerns as to how easy it is for American children to get hold of weapons.
The gun industry has been under legal siege in recent years, with not only individuals, but dozens of cities and counties, and the state of New York, filing suits against manufacturers in an attempt to hold them responsible for the carnage caused by firearms.
In 2011 (the most recent year for these figures) there were 15,953 murders in the United States and 11,101 (30 a day) were caused by firearms.
In the 45 years since Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated in 1968, there have been over 1.3 million deaths in our country caused by firearms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2011 there were 15,953 murders in the United States and 11,101 (30 a day) were caused by firearms.
