38K signatures on Change.org petition for stricter Orlando gun regulations

ORLANDO, Fla. — In the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting that left 49 dead and 52 wounded, gun legislation concerning assault and assault-type weapons has again been thrown into the national spotlight.

The issue has been brought up in both houses of Congress, with House Democrats conducting a well-publicized, 25-hour sit-in to protest their inability to bring up any legislation for a vote.

In Orlando, a grassroots push has started building momentum, as a Change.org petition calling for Orlando officials to push stricter gun regulations has garnered nearly 38,000 signatures.

“Following the two back-to-back shootings which occurred in Orlando, Florida, one of which has now become the biggest and deadliest mass shooting in the nation’s history, there is no question that there needs to be stricter weapon regulation in The City Beautiful,” the petition says.

The other incident the petition referred to was the shooting death of “The Voice” star Christina Grimmie after a concert in Orlando on June 11.

The call for local lawmakers to act bemoaned people’s ability to legally purchase weapons like the AR-15 assault rifle.

A similar gun was used by Omar Mateen when he barged into Pulse nightclub on June 12 and opened fire.

“These weapons have absolutely no place in an urban environment like Orlando,” the petition says. “They are completely inappropriate for any and all circumstances in our city, and frankly, in our state as a whole.”

The petition calls for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer; commissioners Tony Oritz, Robert F. Stuart, Patty Sheehan, Regina Hill and Samuel Ings; and U.S. Reps. Alan Grayson and Daniel Webster, to push for stricter U.S. gun regulations.

According to email records recently released by the city, Dyer received notification of the petition on June 17.

Cox Media Group