In June, a gunman attacked a gay nightclub in Orlando Florida, killing 49 and wounding 50, including one police officer. It was the largest mass shooting in modern American history. It was the worst act of violence perpetrated upon the LGBT community since the UpStairs Lounge arson attack of 1973. And as the shooter proclaimed allegiance to Daesh (a.k.a. ISIS or ISIL) during the attack, the massacre was the deadliest act of terrorism perpetrated on U.S. soil since 9/11. The weapons used in the attack were bought legally even though the shooter himself was on a terrorism watch list. Clearly, whatever system was in place didn’t prevent what it was supposed to prevent.
