Chilling New 'Back-To-School' PSA Recreates School Shooting As Gun Legislation Debate Rages On
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A new – and possibly disturbing – PSA is hitting the airwaves as members of Congress consider a way forward on possible gun legislation.
This public service announcement mimics a typical back to school commercial, but it has a dark twist – as the students use their back to school items during a school shooting.
WARNING - The video below may be disturbing to some viewers:
It's the latest ad from the anti-gun violence group Sandy Hook Promise, founded by family members of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
Mark Barden's son, Daniel, was one of 26 children and educators killed in the 2012 elementary school massacre.
"We hope that people who do watch it are inspired to action. It's not easy and it shouldn't be. We're talking about a school shooting, you can't sanitize that, nor should you," Barden said.
MORE: Sandy Hook Families Launch 'Know The Signs' Campaign, Saying 'Gun Violence Is Preventable'
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face increasing pressure to act after recent mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, reports CBS News' Katherine Johnson.
"We need some guidance from the president," Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said.
"They are like a yo-yo, they're back and forth, and back and forth," Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
President Trump has dispatched Attorney General William Barr to meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill on possible gun proposals.
"The president's been working on this every single day now for seven or eight weeks now and very glad our Attorney General is engaged… We have to make sure that what we pass doesn't make people feel better, it makes us all safer," the president's counsel, Kellyanne Conway said.
A source familiar with discussions told CBS News the White House considers universal background checks, as well as a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines off the table.
Other measures the White House is looking at according to sources include actions on mental health, a mandatory death penalty for mass shooters, and the designation of domestic terrorism as a federal crime.
