



SEATTLE -- Politicians are pushing for more gun control after Wednesday night's deadly shooting downtown where bullets hit eight people, killing one woman in the crossfire.



However, gun rights activists were quick to point out that existing gun laws didn't stop the suspects from having guns in the first place.



Democrats at all levels of politics in the state were quick to make calls to end senseless gun violence.



From the city:









To the state:









To Congress:





"We know not every incident of gun violence can be prevented, but it is our moral imperative to do all we can to keep our children and families safe. I pledge to continue doing everything I can to fight the gun lobby and its Congressional allies who stand in the way of commonsense gun safety and gun violence prevention measures." -- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle






In Olympia Thursday, lawmakers also debated gun control measures in scheduled sessions. The House passed a bill that gives Washington State Patrol the option to destroy guns confiscated during criminal investigations instead of selling them. That goes to the Senate next.



Lawmakers also debated bills on limiting high-capacity magazines and training requirements for concealed carry permits.



This legislative session, they will also tackle bills that call for background checks on ammunition sales and banning so-called assault weapons.



But gun rights activists say last night's shooting proves gun control measures are not working. The ones in place and even the ones proposed would not have prevented the known criminals involved from continuing to break the law.



"I know politicians are looking around for some way to demonstrate they want to do something...to prevent this sort of thing," said Dave Workman of TheGunMag.com, a publication by Bellevue's Second Amendment Foundation. "But their solutions boil down to penalizing the wrong people, the honest gun owners that weren't involved in this crime or any other crime."



Workman and others are questioning why the suspects, convicted felons, were on the streets of Seattle in the first place. They say it's the criminal justice system, not gun control measures, that need a closer look after Wednesday's deadly shooting.