Mayor John Hamilton expressed condolences in an email statement Friday afternoon regarding the mass shooting in Indianapolis at a FedEx facility Thursday night.
Hamilton said he expects there will be connections between the victims and the Bloomington community. Eight people were killed and at least seven were injured during the shooting, police said.
“It’s too late for the 8 individuals who lost their lives yesterday and their families and friends, but we can, if we choose to, work to prevent another community from experiencing this kind of heartbreak,” Hamilton said in the statement.
Hamilton said he has joined with the United States Conference of Mayors, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to call for common sense gun laws in Indiana and in the United States.
The Indiana State Legislature has restricted how much control local governments have to impose regulations on firearm ownership, use and carry, Hamilton said.
“You should know that as your mayor, my power to impact local gun regulations to protect our community is extremely limited,” he said.
The Indiana General Assembly is currently looking to loosen gun laws, Hamilton said. He said the legislators are looking to remove the permitting system for carrying firearms in public. Bloomington Police Chief Michael Diekhoff testified to keep the gun permitting system, Hamilton said.
Hamilton said legislators in Indiana added language to a bill making it legal to display a loaded gun, regardless of imminent danger. This bill will expand the Indiana “Stand Your Ground” Laws, he said.
“Those seeking to promote these dangerous policies are out of step with today’s reality,” Hamilton said. “They are leading Indiana in the wrong direction.”
