Gun control

Leading doctors group calls for automatic weapons ban after Las Vegas shooting

The American College of Physicians issued a statement Monday labeling mass shootings a “serious public health issue” and calling for a ban on automatic and semiautomatic weapons in the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

“We must acknowledge that lack of a U.S. policy to address gun violence is the reason we have much higher rates of injuries and deaths from firearms violence than other countries,” the group said in a statement. Specifically, we call for a ban on the sale and ownership of automatic and semiautomatic weapons. 

The organization said mass shootings in American “have become frequent and even commonplace,” adding “something needs to change.”

“In light of the rising number of mass shootings, this is a serious public health issue that needs to be addressed immediately by Congress,” the group said.