The prevalence of gun violence in the U.S., especially at its schools, has turned even some moderate legislators into staunch supporters of stricter gun control laws.
Democrat Darren Soto, a representative from Florida’s 9th district, was one of them.
“As a lawyer who got into the state legislature, I was always a strong advocate of our Constitutional rights,” the congressman told Cheddar on Thursday, the day after a gunman killed 17 students and teachers at a Parkland, Fla., high school.
“But when Sandy Hook happened, I really got the full sense of the horror and the tragedy of these mass shootings. That was when I was in the Florida House. And from then, I really took a turn to fight for many different gun reforms.”
Soto’s comments come as Nikolas Cruz was charged with 17 counts of murder for the Parkland shooting. The nineteen-year-old was reportedly part of a white supremacist group and had previously posted videos and social media messages showing him with a variety of guns and claiming he wanted to be a “professional school shooter.”
President Trump addressed the shooting Thursday morning, calling for steps to address mental illness, but did not mention anything about gun control.
That may not have come as a surprise to Soto, who spoke with Cheddar before the President made his statement. He said Republicans have blocked hearings on a number of measures sponsored by Democrats, from closing the gun show loophole to preventing those on the no-fly list from buying weapons to a ban on so-called bump stocks.
And one of those bills might have prevented Wednesday's events.
"How did this young man get guns as a troubled youth?" he asked. "I suspect it could have been this gun show loophole. It could have been a personal exchange. Therefore there is no background check and no ability to police folks who normally wouldn't get firearms getting them through this glaring loophole."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-darren-soto-d-fl-calls-for-action-after-another-unspeakable-tragedy).
Cheddar's Brad Smith sits down with Tough Mudder HQ senior vice president Cathrin Bowtell to discuss the brand's expansion. The company is opening Tough Mudder Bootcamp studios in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Dana Vollmer and Go Red For Women spokesperson Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum discuss ways to make sure your heart is healthy. Dana Vollmer has won the 4th most gold medals of any U.S. female Olympian.
Olympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer Dana Vollmer talks about what's going through athletes' minds as they prepare for the Games.
Cheddar's Brad Smith heads to Tough Mudder HQ in Brooklyn to work out with TMHQ senior manager, Chris Maltbie. Tough Mudder is announcing new locations of its fitness studio franchise, with Tough Mudder Bootcamp locations in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.
Disney reported earnings Tuesday and the most notable part of the report was the announcement that its new streaming service will be $5 a month. Rich Greenfield, Media Analyst at BTIG, joins Your Cheddar to discuss his thoughts on the announcement.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Falcon Heavy launch, Olympic preview, and more. With Bacardi, FHM, and Entrepreneur.
The Olympics haven't even begun and the military is already being called. This time, however, North Korea has nothing to do with it. Almost a thousand military personnel have been sent to Pyeongchang after dozens of security guards fell ill from a norovirus outbreak.
The Olympics draws millions of people around the globe but it also attracts a higher risk of a cybersecurity attack. Travis Farral, Director of Security Strategy at Anomali, joins Cheddar to discuss certain risks to atheletes and tourists traveling to PyeongChang, SOuth Korea.
On Between Bells: More memos, more problems for both parties. Best Super Bowl ads, and Keeping Secrets with the Kardashians. With Rare Media, Gov. John W. Hickenlooper, The Young Turks, Diply, and Zimbio.
The Philadelphia Eagles may have won Super Bowl LII, but which brands delivered the most memorable advertisements? Diply's Dan Lagani joins Cheddar to discuss the factors to consider when picking a champion from the biggest night of the year for TV commercials.
