Walker Dismisses Calls For Gun Control Following Oregon Shooting

Gov. Scott Walker said Friday that calls for more gun control following a mass shooting in Oregon are premature.

A number of politicians, including President Barack Obama, have said that shootings like the one on Thursday demonstrate a need for stronger gun laws in the U.S. Walker, however, steered away from the idea of gun control Friday, saying, “I don’t know that anybody knows the particulars in Oregon.”

He instead shifted focus toward mental health: “Historically, the one constant threat has been people suffering from some degree of mental illness,” he said.

Walker said he’s boosted state funding of mental health treatment after mass shootings at a beauty salon in Brookfield and at a religious temple in Oak Creek.

Democrats have repeatedly asked the Republican governor to extend criminal background checks to all gun sales.