Panel impacted by gun violence debates the future of gun control laws

In the wake of the shooting in Parkland, Florida, that claimed the life of 17 people, CBS News’ Bianna Golodryga sat down with a group of people all touched by gun violence. Most of the people she talked to own guns, and have different viewpoints on the role of assault weapons.

Toby Clark escaped the Las Vegas shooting

CBS News

Bianna Golodryga: How many guns do you own?

Toby Clark: Many.

Golodryga: And are any of them assault weapons?

Clark: Yes.

Golodryga: And your outlook on owning these types of weapons has not changed?

Clark: No.

Golodryga: When it comes to gun rights and maybe any sort of legislation what– what is the limit for you?

Clark: I mean, I’m open to– ideas to fix the problems that we have. I mean, nobody’s perfect. We, I mean, we all make mistakes. But when, you know, people just wanna ban something just because somebody did something wrong with it, I think that’s not helping the issue at all.

Christine Leinonen, a mother who lost her son in another Florida shooting at the Pulse nightclub in 2016, believes a ban on assault weapons would help.

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Christine Leinonen lost her son in the Pulse nightclub shooting

CBS News

Christine Leinonen: I lost my son in a mass shooting. My only child. And he’s only one of over 100 people that were shot and killed within a couple of minutes, 49 that was shot within a couple of minutes. How long were you in labor with your child? And for them to die in split seconds. And so many. And we’ve lost so many. And it has to stop. And we have to name it. My son was killed with an assault weapon. What are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do for me?

Other members of the panel includes Imran Yousuf, a former Marine who was also a bouncer at Pulse nightclub. Kelsey Clark was with Toby Clark at the shooting in Las Vegas. Cobe Williams is a lifelong Chicago resident who was in a gang, but now works to end gun violence. Austin Eubanks was shot twice during the Columbine school shooting.

Watch the full conversation Wednesday, Feb. 21, on “CBS This Morning.”

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