NEW YORK mayor Michael Bloomberg and dozens of shooting survivors and victims’ relatives have called on Congress and President Barack Obama to tighten gun laws and enforcement.
The mayor was appearing at city hall with 34 people whose own lives, or the lives of their relatives, have been affected by gun violence around the country.
They are sending videos to politicians telling their stories.
Mr Bloomberg has long been an advocate for tougher national gun regulations.
He has found himself at the forefront of a re-energised push for gun control since Friday’s massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.
He said the carnage “demands immediate national action”.
A US senator and lifelong member of the National Rifle Association became the most prominent gun rights advocate to speak out about the tragedy, saying it was time for the debate to move beyond political rhetoric and begin an honest discussion about reasonable restrictions on guns.
Senator Joe Manchin told MSNBC: “Never before have we seen our babies slaughtered. It’s never happened in America that I can recall, seeing this carnage.
“Anybody that’s a proud gun owner, a proud member of the NRA, they’re also proud parents, they’re proud grandparents.
“They understand this has changed where we go from here.”
He added: “I don’t know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle, I don’t know anybody who needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting.”
The conservative Democrat said he agrees with Mr Bloomberg.
Democrats say the “meaningful action” President Barack Obama has spoken of in the wake of last week’s shooting must include a ban on the military-style assault weapons and a look at how the country deals with individuals suffering from serious mental illness.