SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The deadly shooting in San Bernardino happened in a state with some of the nation’s toughest gun laws.
California bars assault weapons, blocks the sale of large-capacity magazines and requires universal background checks for all gun purchases.
Authorities say they believe suspected gunman Syed Rizwan Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik had legally obtained two handguns and that two rifles were also legally purchased in California.
Since the attack Wednesday at a social service center in Southern California, the state’s strict laws and the apparent legal purchase of the weapons have set off a debate over the effectiveness of gun measures and whether getting tougher would help prevent more violence.
Gun control advocates have called for stricter laws, while opponents have said these tougher measures don’t work.