Community leaders discuss gun control issues

NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Several South Florida community leaders gathered to take aim at one of the biggest issues the country is facing: gun control.

US Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz calls it runaway, unprecedented, gun violence. "We have many challenges. We have a very complex problem that we cannot simply say there are no answers for," said Wasserman-Schultz.

Two of many terrifying ambushes occurred last year. A man armed with an arsenal of weapons opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut was under attack where 20 children and six adults were killed. "Even people who are staunch supporters of gun rights across the country have stepped back and said enough is enough," said Wasserman-Schultz.

On the heels of tragedy, amidst calls for and controversy surrounding tighter gun control laws, Wasserman-Schultz hosted a roundtable discussion at the Broward Sheriff's Office with leaders from Miami-Dade and Broward County.

The goal, she said, is to find a meaningful solution to end gun violence in South Florida.

The group touched on a wide variety of issues, including the idea of having an armed school resource officer in every school. "These are trained individuals who are highly trained to diffuse a tense situation," said Wasserman-Schultz.

All of them agreed there ought to be a gun database, tracking weapons and closer monitoring of those with mental health problems. "Universal background checks, populating database with appropriate information to those with mental health illness and convictions don't get it," said Sunrise Mayor Michael Ryan, "making sure those databases talk together, giving the tools for those on the streets to be able to take guns off the streets."

The meeting served as a discussion to get the ball rolling on creating a solution to take to the state legislature. "The underlying social issue is guns in the wrong hands and the ability to try to weed those out and pull the guns out that are in the hands of people who should not have them," said Broward County Mayor Kristen Jacobs.

There will be another meeting in Miami-Dade County next week.

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