As the investigation continues into the unimaginable mass shooting in Las Vegas, the debate over U.S. gun control is once again building among citizens on social media and in conversations across the country.
Las Vegas investigators confirmed 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 concert goers, killing 59 people and injuring 527.
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Paddock fired shots from his room at the Mandalay Bay. Police said at least 16 weapons were found in the room on the 32nd floor.
Prof. Ronnie Dunn with the Cleveland State University Department of Urban Studies believes the case points to the need for greater gun control when it comes to access of semi-automatic weapons that can carry and shoot dozens of rounds at a time.
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"We do need tougher gun laws," said Dunn. "There is no justification for the average citizen to have weapons of that magnitude, of military grade capacity."
However, Kim Rodecker, owner and trainer at Cleveland's Concealed Carry Courses, said creating tougher gun laws or increasing requirements on gun ownership wouldn't have any impact in preventing mass shootings.
"You're never going to stop a madman from getting them, just like you can't stop drugs from being on the street," said Rodecker. "It's a horrible thing that happened, but I can't see how it can be stopped by banning anything. And as far as trying to do mental health checks on every single person that buys a gun in the country, that's just not going to happen."
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Still, Dunn believes placing limitations on semi-automatic weapons, which he said in some cases can be illegally converted to full automatic, would make a difference.
"There are answers, there are solutions," said Dunn. "Whether or not our country is ready to adopt them, whether our political leadership will show the political will to enact them, that's the question."
