Culture

Amy Schumer Has Called For New Laws To Combat Gun Violence After The ‘Trainwreck’ Theatre Shooting

“These are my first public comments on the issue of gun violence, but I promise you they will not be my last.”

by Alex McKinnon  4 August 2015

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The immensely painful and divisive issue of gun violence in America reared its head yet again last month, when a 59-year-old man opened fire on theatregoers during a movie screening in Lafayette, Louisiana, killing two people and injuring seven before turning the gun on himself.

The movie in question was Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, and in the wake of the murders Schumer signalled an intention to enter the gun control debate in a substantive way.

A few hours ago the public got to see the results of her efforts. In a press conference with Democratic New York Senator (and her cousin, incidentally) Chuck Schumer, actress Schumer announced a legislative gun control plan aiming to reward states with comprehensive background check systems in place, and reinstating funding for mental health programs.

Legislatively, the Schumer bill is unlikely to make it past a Republican-dominated Congress hostile to even the mildest gun-control measures. But Schumer has vowed to keep up pressure on lawmakers until changes are enacted, saying: “These are my first public comments on the issue of gun violence, but I promise you they will not be my last.”