U.S. Rep. Jared Golden from Maine calls for a ban of assault rifles, reversing position

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, is calling for Congress to pass a ban on assault rifles, like the one used in the shootings in Lewiston.

At a press conference at Lewiston City Hall on Thursday, the Maine Congressman said that though he had previously opposed similar bans, he had a "false confidence" that his community was above deadly incidents.

"For the good of my community, I will work with any colleague to get this done in the time that I have in Congress. To the people of Lewiston, to my constituents in the second district, to those who have been harmed, I ask for forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings," Golden said.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins also spoke at the press conference. She said that she previously supported an assault weapons ban in the 1990s, but opposed a legislative effort to expand it.

Collins pointed to Maine's long heritage of gun ownership and said that she would support other policies, such as a ban on high-capacity magazines and increasing the minimum age requirement to obtain a high-capacity rifle.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Maine Public.