In Tyler Texas, three were killed and at least four others wounded after a man who was engaged in a bitter child-support dispute opened fire on his wife and son in a town-square. Armed with an AK-47, the gunman, who had a history of domestic abuse and weapons violations, killed his wife, and seriously injured his son before killing a bystander who tried to intervene. The gunman then led law enforcement officers on a chase for several miles while shooting out his back window before being shot to death by police. Police estimated that the shooter fired over fifty rounds in all.

Three law enforcement officers were injured in the attack, at least one critically. Shortly after the shooting, Police Chief Gary Swindle told media, "They (law enforcement officers) were simply outgunned. They were armed with handguns and he (the shooter) was armed with an AK-47."

Only hours later in Los Angeles, a city worker attacked and killed his boss and a co-worker after being reprimanded that morning for being late for work. According to AP reports, the shooting took place in a public office building. Police recovered an AK-47 from the suspect’s vehicle.

A similar public incident with a “copy-cat” AK-47 occurred just two weeks ago in New York when a gunman shot off more than fifty rounds in a shopping mall wounding two.

The assault weapons ban introduced in the Iowa Senate (SF207) would prohibit the possession of military style, semi-automatic assault rifles such as the ones used in the recent shootings in Texas, California, and New York. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Senators Connolly (D-Dubuque), Dvorsky (D-Coralville), Lundby (R-Marion), and Tinsman (R-Davenport).

“The public and fatal nature of these attacks demonstrates an urgent need for the Iowa Legislature to step in where Congress failed when they allowed the federal ban to expire last year” said Leah Woodward, communications director at Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence.

Woodward pointed out that assault weapons are specifically designed to inflict maximum casualties in a short amount of time. She said, “Design features, such as detachable ammunition magazines and pistol grips make it possible to spray fire bullets over a wide area, and reload quickly.”

“Iowa is not immune to the deadly violence of assault weapons,” said Woodward. “This is a nationwide problem, and it will make its way to Iowa if our legislature doesn’t act quickly.”