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Mass Shooting In Aurora Sparks Gun Control Debate

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- In the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora the gun control debate is heating up.

The man suspected of opening fire in an Aurora movie theater just after midnight -- killing at least a dozen and injuring at least 50 more -- bought all four of his guns legally in the past two months.

Police said James Holmes used an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remington 870 12-gauge shot gun and a .40 caliber Glock handgun along with another .40 caliber Glock handgun in the attacks.

On one side are the champions of Second Amendment rights. They wonder, with all the people in the theater, wasn't there someone who was carrying a gun and could have stopped the shooter?

On the other side are the gun control advocates, including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is injecting the gun law debate into the presidential race.

Bloomberg said that soothing words are nice, but he said President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney need to stand up and tell us what they are going to do about preventing gun violence.

"The bottom line is if we had fewer guns we would have a lot fewer murders," said Bloomberg.

Sen. Mark Udall told CBS4 Friday there is still a lot of work to be done with gun laws.

"I think we've made enormous strides in keeping firearms out of the hands of felons and people who have mental problems and children, but we still haven't cracked the code when it comes to these lone operators who have a grievance with society and plan in private and then commit these unspeakable crimes," said Udall, a Democrat representing Colorado.

Neither Romney nor the president addressed gun control in their remarks on the shooting. Instead, they chose to concentrate on the victims and their families.

RELATED: Romney, Obama Pull Campaign Ads In Colorado After Aurora Tragedy

The shootings may put pressure on lawmakers to pass more gun control legislation, but changes in the law are unlikely. If other mass shootings are any indication, the Columbine High School shootings being one of them, changes in the law are unlikely.

Gallup claims its polls have shown that Americans have grown less supportive of strengthening gun laws over the past 20 years.

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