US House Passes Bill to Prevent Gun Violence in Schools

A majority of the US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to pass legislation that would provide federal grants aimed at preventing gun violence in schools.

Members of the House voted 407-10 in support of the STOP School Violence Act, which authorizes USD500 million in federal grants over the next 10 years to improve coordination between schools and law enforcement agencies.

House Speaker Paul Ryan welcomed the passage of the legislation, which he said “gives law enforcement, school officials, and students the training, technology, and resources they need to identify and prevent threats.”

The measure comes in response to the Feb. 14 shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz used an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle and killed 17 people. Local authorities said Cruz purchased the assault rifle legally around one year before the incident.

The shooting has ignited a national debate over gun control that has put pressure on Republican lawmakers to consider a number of measures that they have blocked in the past, including reforms of the national background check system for gun buyers. (Sputnik)