A little over two years before gun violence arrived at his doorstep in the form of Thursday’s mass shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin had sent a pointed letter to Vice President Joe Biden denouncing proposed gun-control laws.
In the letter, sent soon after the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which 26 people (mostly children under the age of 10) were gunned down, Hanlin expressed a refusal to enforce antigun laws that he said were “unconstitutional.”
“Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,” he said.
The letter was circulated by multiple Twitter users and also reported by Mother Jones.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQR7TT8WUAABlgY.jpg
Hanlin said in a press conference on Thursday that he would not name the shooter who opened fire at the UCC. “I will not give him credit for this horrific act of cowardice,” he said.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com