Watch CBS News

Sen. Brown: Weapons Bans Should Be Up To States

BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown says states should decide whether to ban assault weapons following a shooting rampage in Colorado that left 12 people dead and 58 others injured at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."

A Brown campaign spokeswoman said Monday that the Republican supports Massachusetts's assault weapons ban and believes states are the "appropriate venue" for such decisions.

A spokeswoman for Brown's Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Warren, says she supports reinstating a federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

Supporters of tighter federal gun laws have called for the federal weapons ban in the wake of the Colorado shootings.

In 2004 Brown, then a state senator, voted to extend Massachusetts' ban on selling or importing military-style semi-automatic weapons as the federal ban ran out.

Then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed the extension into law.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.