Also testifying at the Senate hearing on gun control on Wednesday was National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre, who has vocally opposed any gun control measures, including the assault weapons ban. LaPierre sparred with Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois over whether tighter background checks could help deter gun violence.

Wayne LaPierre: “My point is, even if you turn up someone on an instant check, it’s a mentally ill person or a felon, as long as you let them go, you’re not keeping them from getting a gun, and you’re not preventing them from getting to their next crime scene.”

Sen. Dick Durbin: “Mr. LaPierre, that’s the point. The criminals won’t go to purchase the guns because there will be a background check. We’ll stop them from the original purchase. You miss that point completely, and I think it’s basic.”