Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, whose city was the site of a July 20 mass shooting at a movie theater that left 12 dead and 70 hurt, was recently rebuffed by the city attorney’s office as he expressed interest in implementing a ban on the sale of violent video games.

In an effort to quell gun violence in the sprawling suburb, Hogan also inquired into Aurora imposing a possible tax on the sale of such entertainment.

With a debate brewing over gun rights in Colorado, Hogan, who has largely remained out of the Second Amendment fray, has delved into First Amendment rights, and the move has a clinical psychologist calling the idea “ludicrous.”

“Our society is experiencing more and more episodes of violent behavior. At the same time we see our kids with less parenting, and more unsupervised leisure time. Some kids turn to video games which are becoming more graphic and more violent,” said Hogan via e-mail. “I believe public violence has many sources and am prepared to accept violent games may be one of those sources.”

Officials in the city attorney’s office referred Hogan to a Supreme Court ruling that video games are free speech and that such limitations as higher taxes or banning a video game is likely unconstitutional.

Hogan, in an interview with the Aurora Sentinel about banning violent video games, said that “gutting the Second Amendment is not an answer,” to reducing gun violence.

“I believe in the Second Amendment. I also believe some regulation of weapons is both necessary and desired,” Hogan told The Post.

Dr. Stanton E. Samenow, a clinical psychologist and author of the book “Inside the Criminal Mind,” said there are plenty of options to help resolve gun violence but that there’s no correlation between violent video games and an individual committing a violent act.

“Many people who resort to heinous violent acts are already fascinated and enveloped by violence. … It’s ludicrous to think a game just flips a switch and causes people to go overboard,” Stanton said. “Millions watch violent movies or play violent video games, and they don’t go shoot or hurt people.”

Meanwhile, Hogan said as mayor it’s part of his job to see what solutions are out there to combat gun violence.

“I had hoped more regulation of the most violent games might be an answer. Obviously, it isn’t,” Hogan said via e-mail.

Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee