TRYING TO CRACK DOWN ON THE EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE ARE MAKING THEIR WAY AT THE CAPITOL, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE RECENT SHOOTING DEATHS OF FIRST RESPONDERS.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER BRINGS US AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THIS EMOTIONAL ISSUE.

[Cheering] >> Mary: GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES GATHERED WITH THE STATE'S TOP OFFICIALS TO PUSH FOR MORE RESTRICTIONS AFTER LAST SESSION THEY GOT UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION FUNDING.

>> MAKING THE CASE OF TURNING TRAGEDY INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE LIVE WITH THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE WE HAVE.

HOW CAN WE SEE A HEADLINE THAT SAYS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF CHILDREN NOW IS GUN VIOLENCE.

>> THAT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT OF PARSING OF THE DATA, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS, THEY'RE INCLUDING 18- AND 19-YEAR-OLD ADULTS WHICH ACCOUNT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THOSE NUMBERS, BUT I THINK THE BIGGER ISSUE IS, WE PUT GUN VIOLENCE INTO ONE BIG BUCKET.

WHEN IT'S REALLY THREE VERY UNIQUE, SEPARATE ISSUES.

YOU HAVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF MINNESOTA'S FIREARM DEATHS ARE SUICIDES.

>> Mary: DORN KNOWS STATISTICS AS THE LEADING GUN RIGHTS VOICE AT THE CAPITAL BUT ACTIVISTS HAVE GOTTEN ORGANIZED AND NOTICED.

>> THERE'S SOME PEOPLE INSIDE SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS AROUND HERE ARGUING AND FIGHTING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF US IN THESE COMMUNITIES, AND THE CRAZY PART ABOUT IT IS, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T FEEL THAT THE GUN VIOLENCE S A PROBLEM ARE THE ONES THAT DON'T GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT LISTENING TO GUN FIRE OUTSIDE OF THEIR WRITTEN DOSE!!

>> Mary: ALL THE NEW GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED IS SHOWING RESULTS, NOT EXACTLY WHAT GUN ADVOCATES THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN.

>> THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE DOZEN RED FLAG ORDERS ISSUED.

THERE ARE OVERWHELMINGLY ISSUED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, NOT THE KIND OF THE FAMILY MEMBER SCENARIOS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

>> Mary: ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THAT?

>> I AM, BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, ITS IT'S A WAY FOR FAMILY MEMBERS TO HELP A LOVED ONE IN CRISIS.

>> Mary: THE ACTIVISTS SAY THEY DO NOT WANT TO GET RID OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

>> WE HAVE ALL BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES FIGHTING THIS BATTLE OF GUN VIOLENCE.

GUN VIOLENCE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.

GUN VIOLENCE OES NOT DISCRIMINATES.

>> Mary: PROTECT MINNESOTA IS THE LARGEST LOCAL GROUP ADVOCATING BEGINS GUN VIOLENCE AND THEY HAVE ALL THE TOP LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AS ADVOCATES.

>> THESE AFFECT EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY IN OUR STATE AND WE HAVE HEARD CALLS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR FROM FAMILY MEMBERS, FROM NAMES, ROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TO HAVE CHANGE, AND WHAT IS CHANGE OVER THOSE TIMES?

WELL, YOU ALL, RIGHT?

YOU ORGANIZING THAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.

>> WHOEVER YOU ARE, WHATEVER YOU DO, WHATEVER UNIFORM YOU WEAR TO WORK, YOU DESERVE TO LIVE SAFELY AND FREE OF GUN VIOLENCE, WE'VE EXPERIENCED TOO MUCH IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, SPECIALLY RECENTLY.

>> Mary: THE SHOOTING DEATHS OF BURNSVILLE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE ON THE INDS OF MANY LAWMAKERS.

>> I STRUGGLE WITH THAT JUST BECAUSE THE TWO BILLS THAT ARE BEING ADVANCED RIGHT NOW REALLY WOULD HAVE HAD NO IMPACT AT ALL ON THAT TRAGEDY.

AND WHILE I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO DEBATE THESE ISSUES, I THINK CAPITALIZING AN A TRAGEDY TO PUSH AN AGENDA WHEN IT'S UNRELATED IS A LITTLE BIT UNCOUTH.

>> I DECIDED TO DO THIS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN A FIREARM SAFETY INSTRUCTOR, I'VE OWNED GUNS MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I'M SICK OF READING STORIES ABOUT KIDS DYING BEING SHOT.

>> Mary: THE BILLS GOING THROUGH COMMITTEE WOULD TOUGHEN UP BETTER STORAGE AND SAFE GUNS.

>> WE SHOULD HAVE A SAFE STORAGE, RIGHT, AND WE KNOW THAT GUNS THAT HAVE BEEN LOST OR STOLEN ENDS UP BEING USED IN CRIMES AND SOMETIMES IF THEY'RE NOT LOST OR STOLEN, SOMEBODY ELSE CLAIMS LATER ON THAT IT IS GUN WAS LOST OR STOLEN.

>> THE NEW BILL TAKES A MORE MEASURED APPROACH AT IT BUILT THERE'S STILL UNDERLYING ISSUES, LIKE YOU'RE NOT ABSOLVED IF SOMEBODY BREAKS INTO YOUR GUN SAFE, YOU'RE STILL LIABLE, AND IT STILL TREATS A FARMER IN ROSEAU WHO MAY KEEP A GUN READY TO DEFEND HIS LYFT WITH NOBODY ELSE IN THE HOUSE, TREATS THEM THE SAME AS A DAY CARE ROVIDER IN EDINA.

>> Mary: HE SATISFIES THE BILLS AS EASIER FOR THE DEMOCRATS TO PASS EVEN WITH IT IS NARROW MARGIN IN THE SENATE.

WHAT HE WOULD RATHER SEE IS A TOUGH ON CRIME APPROACH FOR THE ALLEGED BURNSVILLE SHOOTER.

>> Mary: WHAT LEGALLY, POLITICALLY COULD OR SHOULD BE DONE IN THAT SITUATION?

>> O THIS IS WHAT'S INTERESTING.

WE KNOW WE GOT THEM FROM STRAW PURCHASES, FROM A GUN STORE HERE IN MINNESOTA, WHERE HE KNEW HE COULDN'T BUY A FIREARM, HE WAS INHE WOULD I BELIEVE GOOD, HE TRIED TO GET HIS RIGHTS ACK, THE JUDGE DENIED, SO HE HAD SOMEBODY ELSE BEING AND BUY THE FIREARM FOR HIM.

THAT PERSON CREATED THE CRIME BY BUYING A GUN FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.

>> BRUTES INCREASED PENALTIES ARE NOT POPULAR WITH ALL DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AT THE CAPITOL AFTER DEALING WITH DECADES OF INEQUITIES.

>> I REPRESENTS WHEN I PUTS A VOTE ON THE THAT FLOOR FOR THE ENTIRE STATE BECAUSE THE TRUTHS OF THE MATTER IS, OUR COMMUNITIES ELECT US AND I COME FROM A COMMUNITY THAT ELECTED ME BECAUSE WE ARE TIRED OF GUN VIOLENCE.

WE ARE TIRED OF DREAMING THROUGH NIGHTMARES, OF WEEING UP TO ANOTHER LOVED ONE OR FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S BEING TOLD THAT THEY'RE AT THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.

WELL, THIS IS HAPPENING IN EVERY PLACE AND ALL THE TIME.