Reflecting on the Orlando shooting tragedy

For the 15th time during Barack Obama’s administration, the president addressed the nation after a mass shooting. This time 49 victims, plus the identified shooter, were killed and 53 people were injured at the Pulse night club in Orlando, Fla. early Sunday morning. It is the largest mass shooting in American history, and worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil since 9/11.

“The shooting in Orlando was a horrific tragedy, and I’m praying for all those who lost loved ones in this attack, all the victims still fighting to survive, and the entire Orlando LGBT community. In the days and weeks to come, we have a lot of questions to answer about why and how this attack occurred,” said Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City).

Rice pointed out that the gun used by Omar Mateen, 29, the Ft. Pierce, Fla., man identified as the shooter, was an AR-15 military-style assault rifle — the same type of weapon used in mass shootings at a holiday party in San Bernardino, Calif., in December, at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, last October, at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., both in 2012.

The congresswoman said that guns like that are not used for sport or self-defense. They are used in war and designed to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. She believes there is “absolutely no reason” that this type of gun should be available to be bought by civilians.

“I’ve co-sponsored legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban, and to ban the sale of the high-capacity ammunition feeding devices that allow for such deadly rates of fire. I don’t care how much money extremists like the NRA spend to defeat these bills – the American people want to see action,” Rice said.

Echoing Rice’s words concerning the availability of military-style weaponry, Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, spiritual leader of Temple Israel of Lawrence, said: “This is a wake-up call for America, the easy accessibility of weapons that legally or nor should not be in the hands of the average citizen, but also the effect of an ideology that breeds hate pitting one group against another that demonizes individuals because of their orientation, philosophy, national origin or religion. I call upon the entire Five Towns to turn to each other and turn to God and pray for the immortal souls of the innocents that were murdered, heal the sorrow of the family members they left behind and pray for the speedy recovery of those who were wounded.”

According to officials, Mateen expressed allegiance to ISIS, the terrorist group that has claimed territory in Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Islamic Center of Long Island has strongly condemned the horrific shooting.

“Islam strictly condemns extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives,” said Isma H. Chaudhry, president of the center. “Targeting civilians’ lives through any method of attack is forbidden and those who commit these acts are criminals. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this mass shooting and their families as they recover from this terrible tragedy.”