MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A high profile gun control advocate was in the mid-state Mondayy to visit the Nashville offices of Tennessee Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander.
Richard Martinez, the outspoken father of Santa Barbara mass-shooting victim Christopher Martinez, was in the region at the invitation of the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Martinez rocketed to national prominence when his emotionally charged press conference the day after his son’s death was televised nationwide.
“Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights, but what about Chris’ right to live. When will this insanity stop.”
Moms Demand Action spokesperson Kathleen Wright says the group will encourage Tennessee legislators to pass additional gun control measures, including universal background checks.
“Simple, common-sense legislation that the majority Tennesseans, the majority of gun owners in Tennessee, and the majority of Americans agree with.”
Martinez delivered more than 5,600 postcards from Tennesseans bearing the phrase “Not One More.” It’s part of a wider delivery of nearly 2.5 million postcards to legislators nationwide.
Gun rights advocates counter that additional gun control measures will not prove effective, because most mass shootings are perpetrated by individuals who are legally qualified to purchase a gun.