HARRISBURG, Pa. (ErieNewsNow) - Some state lawmakers in Pennsylvania are sharing reaction to the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, TN on Monday.

“I'm saddened to see yet another shooting happen in America. Since the beginning of 2023, 404 children have died as the result of a shooting incident because an unstable person got their hands on firearms,” said State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie).   

In recent weeks, the debate over gun violence has accelerated among Democrats and Republicans in the commonwealth. Many Democrats and gun safety advocates want to pass what they call “common-sense” gun reform, like safe storage requirements.

Many Republicans argue that the current laws on the books need to be fully enforced before passing new ones. 

In response to yesterday’s shooting, Bizzarro says more needs to be done to protect children. 

“We've got to do more to protect our children,” said Bizzarro, adding that parents deserve assurance that their child is safe. “They need to go to work with the peace of mind when they're done with work, when they pick up their kids, their children are going to be safe,” he added. 

Bizzarro, a gun owner, acknowledges it’s a complicated debate, but wants to make one thing clear. 

“We are not trying to take away anybody's guns. We're not trying to do anything to harm the Second Amendment. We are trying to make sure that people are safe,” said Bizzarro. “As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and as a person who owns firearms myself, there's going to be no easy fix,” Bizzarro added. 

Just last Thursday, hundreds of advocates showed up to the state Capitol to rally for gun reform. They called on lawmakers to pass legislation like safe storage requirements, enhanced background checks, extreme risk protection and requiring lost or stolen firearms to be reported.