Gowdy: If a Law Can Prevent Mass Shootings, 'Sign Me Up'

If there is a law that will prevent the next mass shooting, Rep. Trey Gowdy said Thursday he'd like to see it, but in the meantime he wants to see the laws already on the books being enforced.

"If you can show me a law that will prevent the next mass killing, go ahead and sign me up," the South Carolina Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

Gowdy also commented that if there are people who think the government is not doing anything to solve the issue of gun violence in the United States, brought again to the forefront by Wednesday's mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, there has been some movement over the past year.

"We were very clear to Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions that we are disappointed that gun prosecutions went down for eight years," said Gowdy. "So before we begin to advocate for new laws, I think it is imminently fair to say how are we doing enforcing the laws we already have."

Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old who had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year, is accused of 17 counts of premeditated murder in connection with the shootings Wednesday. He reportedly purchased the AR-15 used in the attack legally, after going through a background check.

Gowdy said Thursday that there is a "long list of prohibited people, including those who have been adjudicated mentally ill" who cannot possess a single bullet, let alone a AR-15.

"How are we doing enforcing the current laws?" Gowdy said. "If all we do is pass another law, that an attorney general and U.S. Attorneys aren't going to enforce. I don't know how it makes people safer."

Meanwhile, Gowdy said he wants to tell "this generation of children" how sorry he is that they have had to witness school, mall, and concert shootings.

"There is no place that seems safe in our society," said Gowdy. "So as devastating as the loss of life is, the loss of innocence for this generation of children, I don't know anyone who would not pass a bill today that would prevent the next mass shooting."

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