Wichitans protest gun violence after Las Vegas, Lawrence shootings

A group of Wichitans rallied against gun violence in Old Town Wednesday evening following shootings in Las Vegas and Lawrence.

Wichita City Council Member Lavonta Williams criticized lax gun regulations, blaming them for violence in communities across the country, including her district.

“You have to know how much this is damaging a community that I love,” Williams said. “An 18-year-old can carry that gun to a basketball court if they want to. So we end up with somebody hurt. And that’s because we don’t have the laws that we need.

“Let’s not lose any more people in Kansas and in the United States,” she added.

Williams told about 25 other people who attended the rally they need to remain engaged and fight against gun violence “every single day.”

“But it takes more than just coming out here every time we have a tragedy like this,” Williams said. “Stopping gun violence is going to take courage.”

A man who supported gun rights interrupted Williams, saying stricter laws wouldn’t “help anybody.”

“Criminals are the ones that are breaking the law,” he yelled.

Other speakers continued to address the crowd while the man argued with other gun control advocates.

“We need to come together and find a solution to stop the killing in a way that protects Second Amendment rights and protects our children,” said Katy Tyndell. “This is our time to commemorate the victims of Las Vegas. So let’s not cloud that with yelling and shouting over one another.”

The man, who only provided his first name Tim, said he and his wife served in the military in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively.

“Both of us have rifles. Neither of us are going to go shoot somebody,” he said after leaving the rally. “But the stricter gun laws they’re trying to make is going to make it harder for … those of us who are law-abiding.”

The rally was hosted by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a group that pushes gun control policies.

Ron Schauf, who attended the rally, said the Las Vegas shooter inflicted as much lethal damage as a terrorist hijacking an airplane.

“We went to two wars over 9/11, one of which we’re still in, but we can’t find a way to decrease the carnage from gun violence?” Schauf asked.

The “Remembering Las Vegas” event also commemorated the victims of a shooting in downtown Lawrence last weekend, which left three dead and two wounded.

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Wichitans protest gun violence after Las Vegas, Lawrence shootings."