WASHINGTON — The Biden administration criticized Florida Republicans on Thursday for working to relax state gun regulations in the wake of a shooting spree near Orlando that left three people dead.
The Wednesday shootings in Pine Hills took the lives of Dylan Lyons, a 24-year-old news reporter for Spectrum 13, as well as a 38-year-old woman and a 9-year-old girl.
“Too many lives are being ripped apart by gun violence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at the start of a White House briefing on Thursday. “The president continues to call on Congress to act on gun safety, and for state officials to take action at the state level.”
“But instead of following in the footsteps of so many other states taking common sense action to enact state-level assault weapons bans, and other gun safety measures, Republican state officials in Florida are currently leading an effort to pass a permitless concealed-carry law, which would eliminate the need to get a license to carry a concealed weapon,” she continued. “This is the opposite of common sense gun safety and the people of Florida, who have paid a steep price for state and congressional inaction on guns — from Parkland to Pulse nightclub to Pine Hills — deserve better.”
A 19-year-old suspect was apprehended carrying a Glock 40 semi-automatic handgun, and charged with homicide. The Spectrum 13 reporter had been on the scene of another crime attributed to the suspect conducted hours before.
Florida’s Republican House speaker, Paul Renner, proposed the permitless concealed-carry law for the state in January. If passed, Florida would become the 26th state with a law of its kind on the books.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president, said he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
