Marylanders To Prevent Gun Violence joins all Marylanders and Americans in holding in our prayers the victims of yesterday’s shootings at the Columbia Mall.

Marylanders To Prevent Gun Violence joins all Marylanders and Americans in holding in our prayers the victims of the recent shooting at the Columbia Mall. We also commend the Howard County police and other first responders for the great and heroic work they did yesterday to save lives. Based on what we know, this tragedy could have been much worse. The shooter bought the shotgun he used at a gun store in Rockville, MD in December of 2013. This was after Maryland’s new Firearm Safety Act of 2013 went into effect on October 1. As a result of both this new law and a law passed in 1989 restricting assault weapon sales to those under 21, the shooter was not able to buy a military-style assault weapon or a magazine that could fire more than 10 bullets at a time. We will never know how many lives were saved because he could not buy an assault weapon such as an AK-47. We hope this will inspire other states and the federal government to also limit these weapons of mass destruction.