Amy Schumer Had an Emotional Response to the Recent 'Trainwreck' Theater Shooting
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"Trainwreck" star Amy Schumer and her cousin Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York), held a press conference Monday calling for stronger background checks on people who want to purchase guns. This comes shortly after a man opened fire during a "Trainwreck" movie theater showing in Louisiana, killing two people.
At the NYC conference, the Schumers announced a three-part legislative gun control plan to make it more difficult for those with violent pasts or mental health issues to obtain access to guns. Amy Schumer decided against identifying the shooter by name.
"Preventing dangerous people from getting guns is very possible,” Amy Schumer told reporters. She added that she was “devastated” and “angry” about the recent theater shooting in Louisiana.
“These are my first public comments on the issue of gun violence, but I promise you they will not be my last... I wanted to do something that it was something about restrictions and protecting their families maybe it would be effective... I’m expecting a backlash and I’ll handle it."
Amy Schumer, who says she's received death threats for her comedy, will appear on The Daily Show tonight and is expected to discuss these efforts further during her chat with host Jon Stewart, whose last day as host will be Thursday night.
Sen. Schumer's legislation would financially reward states that include all necessary records in the background check system and punish the states that fail to do the same. He also wants Congress to invest more in mental health funding and substance abuse programs, according to Newsday.
Amy Schumer said she hopes her involvement with this issue will get Congress' attention. Sen. Schumer mentioned an avowed white supremacist's shooting rampage in Charleston, South Carolina, that left nine people dead at a historic Black church. He said stricter gun laws could have prevented the shooter from getting his weapon.
“We all know that if laws were tight, the shooter in Charleston would not have been able to purchase a gun,” he said.
Amy Schumer tweeted over the weekend that she thinks of the "Trainwreck" shooting victims everyday before hinting at her campaign against guns:
According to Wall Street Journal reporter Erica Orden, Amy Schumer hopes to visit the family members of the Louisiana victims on their own terms:
Related: The One Issue That's Escaped Public Outrage After Charleston
