The kind of tragic shooting of many people at once that happened in Arizona on Saturday is much less likely to happen in Maryland. In 1994, then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer and the General Assembly banned semi-automatic assault pistols in our state and gun magazines that can hold more than 20 bullets at one time. The Arizona shooter used a gun magazine that held 30 bullets. Also in 1994, inspired by Maryland and other states, the United States Congress banned assault weapons and gun magazines that can hold more than 10 bullets. Unfortunately, Congress did not renew the federal law, which expired in 2004. If they had done so, this most recent tragedy may not have happened. We can only hope that now Congress will re-enact this life-saving law.

Vincent DeMarco, Baltimore