Inside the Politics of America’s Gun Debate — Gunned Down (full documentary) — FRONTLINE

[0:04] Tonight on Frontline, terror in Florida. [0:06] Dozens are wounded following this shootout and hostage situation. [0:09] The worst mass shooting in American history. [0:11] At least 50 people were killed. [0:13] This massacre is a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon, [0:18] and we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. [0:21] Before the attack, he purchased guns. [0:23] As the debate over guns begins yet again... [0:25] My cold, dead hands! [0:27] Frontline looks back at the politics and the power of the NRA. [0:31] In Tucson, it was a beautiful, crisp, clear blue sky with a few puffy white clouds. [0:52] It was a perfect January morning. [0:54] 40-year-old Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was about to meet constituents at an outdoor shopping center. [1:02] I went to thank her for her being kind of a blue dog Democrat [1:08] and really working for the people and not for the lobbyists. [1:14] Her first person she met with was a young man that was in the Army Reserve. [1:17] She took some pictures with him. [1:19] That was the last picture taken of her before she was shot. [1:25] He shot Gabby from about three feet away, right in the middle of the left side of her forehead. [1:32] He had a 9mm Glock in his hand and a .33 round magazine in it. [1:38] There was a bang and then a slight pause and then a continuous bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. [1:57] Emptied the magazine in 15 seconds. [1:59] There were 33 wounds from 33 bullets, so it looks like every bullet hit a person. [2:07] 9-1-1-4, look what the guy had a semi-automatic pistol. [2:10] I could see him advancing quickly. [2:14] I'm thinking, I wonder what it's going to feel like, how bad it's going to hurt if he shoots me. [2:21] The killer tried to reload. [2:25] He dropped the high-capacity magazine, was tackled, and dropped the gun. [2:29] I'm not able to get the gun because it's too far away, but I am able to get the magazine [2:36] that he's pulling out of his pocket. [2:38] ...have tackled the suspect. [2:40] They are holding him down at the Safeway. [2:43] ...a lot more units. [2:44] What? [2:45] I believe Gabby Giffords is here. [2:46] There were 19 victims gunned down. [2:50] 13 were rushed to area hospitals. [2:53] Six were dead. [2:55] Congresswoman Giffords was in critical condition. [2:57] When I got to the hospital, she was just recovering from surgery, and, you know, at one point that [3:04] evening, I remember, you know, one tear coming down her eye. [3:08] It was just one bloody red tear. [3:10] I think that kind of said it all. [3:13] ...in Arizona are bringing the national debate over gun control. [3:18] Saturday's attack is now putting gun laws under a magnifying... [3:22] Then, once again, a familiar response. [3:25] A public call for the federal government to just do something, something about guns. [3:31] ...the guns, those damn things. [3:33] Here you have, you know, one of the Democrats' own in Congress being struck down, [3:40] a shooting which showed the weak, the effect of weak gun laws. [3:44] ...as we will update President Obama... [3:47] At the White House, initially there was sort of a wait and see, [3:51] and I think a lot of it rested on, you know, to what extent was the president going to be willing to take this up. [3:57] Breaking news, we've just learned that President of Tucson on Wednesday... [4:02] In the wake of the shooting, the president was facing a political crisis on an issue most politicians try to avoid. [4:09] ...of what some have called one of the most important speeches of his presidents, Obama, on a minute, comfort and rally. [4:17] Please welcome the president of the United States, Barack Obama. [4:26] If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let's make sure it's worthy of those we have lost. [4:36] People who wanted to do something about guns listened carefully. [4:40] The president was enormously compassionate, he was enormously eloquent, but he did everything in his power to avoid using the word gun in the wake of that shooting. [4:52] We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that's entirely up to us. [5:02] The silence was deafening. His gun control, ardent supporters were irate. [5:09] The degree of fury over this really can't be captured in words, but it was never, he was never going to do it. [5:17] Washington insiders say his advisors told him the political cost was too great to take on the nation's most powerful lobby, the National Rifle Association. [5:27] It was an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary commentary on the advantage that the NRA enjoys and the tilt toward the side of the debate that says there is simply nothing more to be done about regulating the civilian ownership of guns. [5:49] We just, we, the issue is off the table. [5:53] Without lifting a finger, the National Rifle Association had demonstrated its power. [5:57] They are the best equipped, most feared special interest group on Capitol Hill. [6:06] I mean, they are sort of the gold standard in how to do lobbying work in Washington. [6:12] Well-armed robbers outgunned cops. [6:15] This is the story of the rise to power of the NRA. [6:20] A semi-automatic rifle at least 50 times. [6:22] It was lunchtime, but it looked like wartime. [6:25] How, over the years, in the face of violence and tragedy, public outrage came up against political reality. [6:33] It's a story that took a dramatic turn in the aftermath of one particular shooting. [6:47] She began tonight with a deadly shooting at an American high school. [6:51] In a Colorado high school. [6:52] It was in the school cafeteria that he went after his fellow students. [6:56] 911, what's your emergency? [6:58] There's a shooting going on in Columbine's house. [6:59] And I got shots going on in my face. [7:01] The deadly assault on Columbine High School in Littleton. [7:08] We're beginning to follow this horrific situation taking place in Littleton, Colorado. [7:12] Foxes alert on the horrific mass shooting that happened. [7:15] The school surveillance video showed police some of the story. [7:20] Terrorized students fled when they heard shooting in the hall. [7:23] 188 rounds. [7:31] Then a bomb went off in the cafeteria. [7:36] As the two assailants, seen here, enter the room and hunt for student victims, [7:41] they had killed 13 and wounded 23 more. [7:45] You see some of the victims being taken out. [7:47] We want to advise you, we have no confirmation. [7:49] I was in touch with my wife. [7:51] And she was getting upset because she hadn't heard from Daniel. [7:54] She had gone to one of the places where they were taking students who had escaped. [8:01] And his name was not on the board and she didn't see him. [8:04] He didn't call. [8:07] Tom Mauser's son Daniel was a sophomore, 15 years old, studious and quiet. [8:14] By nightfall, his parents went home to wait. [8:17] We had to spend that night not knowing if he was dead or alive. [8:21] You cry a lot. [8:25] We tried to sleep. [8:29] I couldn't. [8:30] I went downstairs, two levels down from the bedroom. [8:38] And I was crying out and my wife heard me and came down. [8:45] What can you do? [8:47] You're just hopeless. [8:51] FBI documents show the bodies they found in the school library. [8:56] Daniel Mauser was one of them. [8:58] Hiding under a table, he had been shot point blank in the face. [9:02] In the days that followed, the police gathered evidence, including home videos of the attackers and their weapons. [9:15] They had assembled a small arsenal, sawed-off shotguns, a 9mm carbine rifle, and a Tech 9 pistol with a 30-round magazine. [9:30] The shooters got a friend to buy some of the weapons at a gun show without a background check. [9:36] It would become known as the gun show loophole. [9:38] Columbine is really the ultimate nightmare because Columbine really brought to the surface the idea that a couple of disturbed teenagers, [9:49] if they want to, on any given weekend, can go to a gun show and assemble the weapons they need to go and take over the school and start shooting everybody. [9:57] In the wake of the shootings, thousands of protesters marched in Denver demanding that something, anything, be done. [10:09] 8,000 strong targeted the National Rifle Association. [10:12] Daniel Mauser's father joined them. [10:16] I had a sign made at a sign shop with Daniel's picture on it and words, [10:20] my son died at Columbine, he would expect me to be here today. [10:25] The protesters had a familiar target, the guns. [10:30] Something is wrong in this country when a child can grab a gun so easily and shoot a bullet into the middle of a child's face, [10:50] as my son experienced. [10:54] Something is wrong. [10:55] The Rifle Association, target of much- [11:00] As it happened, just blocks away, the NRA was gathering for its long-planned annual convention. [11:06] An enthusiast insists there's no connection between the Columbine tragedy and weapons. [11:10] Inside, top executives of the NRA weighed how to respond. [11:16] They issued a public statement of sympathy and then sent out their most famous member, Charlton Heston. [11:22] To this day, when I would look at Charlton Heston, I didn't see the president of the NRA. [11:38] I saw Moses. [11:40] You couldn't have picked a better caricature of who you wanted, speaking with that stentorian voice of his. [11:50] America must stop this predictable pattern of reaction. [11:56] When an isolated, terrible event occurs, our phones ring, demanding that the NRA explain the inexplicable. [12:05] Why us? [12:06] Because their story needs a villain. [12:09] Despite the shooting, the NRA stayed focused on its core beliefs. [12:14] The base of the National Rifle Association believes so strongly it's more a religion or what a religion used to be. [12:23] There's a passion involved in it. [12:25] The NRA is the closest thing that a membership group can have to just pure patriotism. [12:34] They love their country. [12:36] As long as there's a Second Amendment, evil can never conquer us. [12:41] Tyranny in any form can never find footing within a society of law-abiding, armed, ethical people. [12:50] Heston tapped into a fundamental fear of NRA members, that the government would use Columbine to restrict and then take away their guns. [12:59] Purchases at gun stores start to go up astronomically, as people who are thinking about buying a particular gun over the course of the next year or so worry that they may outlaw it, I better get it while I can. [13:13] Hundreds of thousands of new members signed up for the NRA right after Columbine. [13:18] The gun is a symbol of freedom, the only thing that keeps bad government from taking over. [13:29] It really has nothing to do with guns. [13:31] It has to do with freedom. [13:33] Do you give your freedom to the government or do you keep it within yourself, within your community, within your family? [13:41] And that's the broad appeal. [13:44] But for the NRA, the gun wasn't always a political issue. [13:48] It had once represented something for hunters and sportsmen. [13:55] This is an organization that back in the 60s was a very tame, not particularly political organization. [14:02] The National Rifle Association has made possible the training of thousands of instructors. [14:07] The NRA was a safety organization. [14:10] They helped people teach their children and their friends and family how to use and store and keep firearms safely. [14:19] Then the assassinations of the 60s. [14:25] John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, [14:29] and Robert F. Kennedy. [14:43] Many American cities erupted into armed conflict. [14:47] In response, Congress passed the first comprehensive gun control law in decades. [14:53] Effective crime control remains, in my judgment, effective gun control. [15:01] Those were fighting words for some in the NRA. [15:04] The 1968 gun control bill banned mail order sales and restricted some purchases. [15:13] The NRA people said, wait a minute, we've got other things to worry about than teaching guys how to shoot or how to hunt and so forth or collect guns. [15:22] And that's when, that was the transformative period. [15:25] It formally happened in 1977 at the NRA convention in Cincinnati. [15:33] As they got down to business, there was a showdown. [15:37] Hunters and sportsmen versus gun rights activists. [15:40] The National Rifle Association convention in Cincinnati went into overtime last night, a stormy all-night session. [15:48] When it was over, some dissident members had taken control of the 400,000-member organization. [15:53] What it means is even stricter support for the right to bear arms and against gun control. [16:00] The core of NRA's political support comes from a very conservative Republican group of people. [16:09] They're the ones who give the money. [16:11] They're the ones that pay the freight for all the political battles. [16:16] And they're very conservative. [16:18] Just a few years later, another dramatic shooting. [16:22] You see the president coming out now. [16:30] There's the shots. [16:30] President Reagan shot in the lung. [16:33] Shotspot. [16:35] And his press secretary, James Brady, in the head. [16:40] In the aftermath, once again, a call to do something. [16:47] These incidents seem to keep happening, and that is a tragic puzzle. [16:51] Although Reagan stayed out of it during his presidency, over the years, Jim Brady became a powerful symbol. [16:58] A gun control group formed around him. [17:01] And by the time Bill Clinton was elected, the movement had found a president willing to take up their cause. [17:07] Clinton cracked down on guns. [17:11] The anti-crime initiative, banning the import of assault-style handguns. [17:17] The assault weapons ban, and the Brady bill, requiring background checks at gun stores. [17:24] It seemed like victory for the anti-gun forces. [17:28] But that's not how the NRA saw it. [17:31] I think the NRA benefited tremendously through the Clinton years because of the extreme radicalism of the anti-gun, call them left-wingers. [17:48] I call them regressives, not progressives, but the anti-gun people. [17:54] It's in combat that the NRA thrives. [17:57] It's with enemies that the NRA is best able to communicate its point of view, and above all, raise money. [18:04] The president of the United States. [18:06] So, near the end of his administration, in the wake of Columbine, the president would once again take on the NRA. [18:16] You have a unique chance, a chance, to make sure that the children of Columbine are never forgotten. [18:27] Well, Columbine was one of those visceral events where people reacted as parents and as people, not as politicians. [18:37] And that's how Clinton reacted. [18:39] I mean, all he could think about was, that could have been my kid. [18:43] Behind closed doors, Clinton told top advisor Bruce Reed to push more gun restrictions. [18:49] The attack in Columbine was such a shock to the body politic that we felt the country needed to do something. [18:57] A bill to close that gun show loophole was quickly rushed to a vote in the Senate. [19:02] Mr. Ash, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Enzi. [19:06] As the roll was called, the vote became closer and closer. [19:10] Mr. Frist, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Helms. [19:14] Vice President Gore called to the Capitol to break a deadlock. [19:17] New laws to govern gun sales were deeply divided. [19:20] Gore needed to break the tie. [19:22] On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50, the Senate being equally divided. [19:28] The vice president votes in the affirmative, and the amendment is agreed to. [19:34] It was upset back today for the gun lobby and its allies in Congress. [19:37] One month after Columbine, the NRA had lost the first round. [19:41] The president praised the Senate today for what he called the common sense of their vote. [19:46] The bill then headed to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, [19:50] and that was where the National Rifle Association would make it stand. [19:55] 49-year-old Wayne LaPierre led the NRA. [19:58] Wayne LaPierre is the NRA. [20:00] He built the NRA into what it is today. [20:05] In the 1970s, he started as a lobbyist. [20:08] If you're a political junkie like Wayne or like myself, it was a wonderful job. [20:14] You're working with all these people and having these fights, and you're cutting your teeth. [20:19] But LaPierre was no one's idea of a glad-handing lobbyist. [20:22] He was a very quiet man. [20:26] I was amazed he was a lobbyist because he did not have the Hale-Fellow-Well-Met attitude or personality [20:33] that I associated with politicians or with lobbyists. [20:37] And surprisingly for the NRA, he was not a gun enthusiast, more comfortable on K Street than in a duck blind. [20:45] The safest place you could be with Wayne and a gun back then was in a different state [20:52] because he really did not know anything about guns. [20:56] Politics, yes. [20:57] Guns, no. [21:00] And inside the fractious politics of the NRA, [21:03] LaPierre was skillful navigating between the sportsmen and the gun rights activists. [21:08] Wayne could put a finger to the wind and see which way it was blowing, [21:15] and he would position himself so that neither side would be offended [21:19] and might even think that he were, in fact, on that side. [21:24] In an organization that is so beset by factionalism, [21:27] his being unmoored to any particular point of view is actually very helpful for him [21:32] in terms of being able to ride the torrents that have occasionally swept through the NRA [21:38] and emerge always on top. [21:42] During the early battles with the Clinton administration, [21:45] those political skills were put to the test. [21:48] In an effort to energize the gun rights activists, [21:51] he released this incendiary fundraising letter. [21:54] That the semi-auto ban gives jackbooted government thugs [21:57] more power to take away our constitutional rights, [22:01] break in our doors, seize our guns, [22:04] destroy our property, and even injure or kill us. [22:07] Aren't you concerned when you say Nazi bucket helmets, [22:11] government thugs, kicking down doors, killing, maiming people? [22:16] Aren't you inciting people? [22:18] Aren't you willing now to apologize for the tone of this letter? [22:22] Those words are not far. [22:24] In fact, they're a pretty close description of what's happening in the real world. [22:28] And in response to that, many mainstream Republicans, [22:31] George H.W. Bush being the leading example, [22:36] said, this is not the NRA I'm a member of. [22:38] President Bush resigned his lifetime membership in the NRA. [22:43] President Clinton, leadership of the National Rifle Association, [22:47] his crosshairs today. [22:48] The NRA fundraising letter calling federal ATF agents, quote, jackbooted thugs. [22:53] Before long, Lapierre was forced to backtrack. [22:56] Wayne, right up front, why the apology? [22:58] Well, Larry, if you say something and you offend people and you didn't mean to, [23:02] what you do is you apologize. [23:04] We never meant that letter to broad brass all of federal law enforcement, [23:08] all of BATF, or all of law enforcement in general. [23:12] But to the NRA's hardliners, Lapierre was showing weakness. [23:17] Bad move. [23:18] There was a big uproar from the NRA membership over that. [23:23] The membership wanted a tough guy. [23:26] The membership wanted somebody that drew a red line, [23:30] who didn't compromise, who didn't cave. [23:35] And so in the spring of 1999, [23:37] as Clinton's proposal to close that gun show loophole [23:40] now moved from the Senate to the House, [23:43] Lapierre made a fundamental decision. [23:45] He would stand tough. [23:46] What we see is the president now dusting off every tired old gun control bill [23:51] that's been around his administration for the last six years. [23:55] The NRA needed to go and show that it could stand up to the president, [24:01] that it could stand up, [24:03] and it could toe-to-toe meet him in the ring and bash his brains out. [24:09] The NRA counterattack began by sounding the alarm to its members. [24:14] Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association. [24:20] This year, more than ever, your vote really can make a difference. [24:23] Within days, members received this fax from NRA headquarters. [24:28] The Clinton-Gore administration isn't wasting any time [24:31] attempting to further its aggressive anti-gun agenda. [24:34] Fear is a much greater motivator in American politics than anything else. [24:38] The fear of losing rights that you perceive you have, [24:43] when that fear level is high, [24:46] that's when the groups that represent the issue do well. [24:48] The NRA turned loose their members, [24:57] flooding congressional offices with telephone calls and letters. [25:01] You don't need thousands of people, [25:02] and you don't need millions of dollars. [25:04] You need hundreds of people who will get on the phone, [25:06] and really, a couple hundred people to show up at a town hall meeting. [25:10] You do that a couple of times, [25:12] and your member of Congress gets the message. [25:14] I'm Charlton Heston. [25:15] We need your help to protect our freedom. [25:17] The NRA's membership, if it had one political trait, they vote. [25:23] It's that simple. [25:25] You are a politician. [25:26] You want to get elected. [25:28] You want votes. [25:30] The NRA has votes. [25:31] Those in favor of the amendment will say aye. [25:33] Those opposed will say no. [25:37] Members will record their votes by electronic device. [25:42] After the NRA lobbying blitz, [25:44] the White House came up 22 votes short. [25:46] Air control legislation on Capitol Hill [25:49] was left for dead today on the floor. [25:51] A hands-down victory for the NRA. [25:53] When I saw that after this horrific tragedy, [25:55] despite everything that people say about [25:57] we have to do something to prevent this from happening again, [26:00] when they couldn't do something as basic as that, [26:02] I was livid. [26:09] The rifle is rallying the gun rights [26:14] and holding its annual convention in Charlotte. [26:16] Convention Center opened... [26:18] One year after Columbine, [26:19] it was time for another NRA national convention. [26:22] Gentlemen and members of the National Rifle Association of America, [26:26] your president, Charlton Heston. [26:29] They had overwhelmed the Clinton administration [26:31] and successfully demonstrated their power in Congress. [26:36] It had been a very good year for the NRA. [26:38] The NRA is back. [26:41] And now, the NRA would take the offensive. [26:48] That leads me to that one mission [26:50] that is left undone, [26:53] winning in November. [26:55] The race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. [27:01] That's the last year [27:02] that the gun issue played [27:04] a critical role in American politics. [27:08] Now it was time to settle a score [27:11] with a man who had broken that tie vote in the Senate, [27:14] Al Gore. [27:15] I want to say those fighting words [27:17] for everyone within the sound of my voice [27:20] to hear and to heed, [27:23] and especially for you, Mr. Gore. [27:28] From my cold, dead hands. [27:37] They would spend $20 million on the 2000 election, [27:41] the most aggressive political campaign [27:43] they had ever undertaken. [27:45] Al Gore wants government testing, licensing, [27:47] and registration for all firearms owners. [27:50] He cast the vote [27:51] that would have shut down every gun show. [27:54] This year, vote Freedom First [27:55] because if Al Gore wins... [27:57] To all of you in West Virginia, [28:01] it's Halloween, [28:03] and Al Gore doesn't need a mask [28:05] to scare gun owners and hunters. [28:08] The NRA wins because it's patient, [28:10] and because long after America's dismay [28:13] about these gun maskers has faded, [28:16] the NRA and its membership [28:17] are still thinking about guns. [28:19] Good evening, everybody, [28:20] and welcome to our election coverage 2000. [28:23] Stay with us. [28:23] We're about to take you on [28:25] an exciting and bumpy ride. [28:27] On the night of the election, [28:29] it all came down [28:30] to a handful of critical states. [28:32] The winner in Ohio... [28:34] One of the first to go was Ohio. [28:36] We found in the exit poll is gun owners. [28:38] 40% of the voters in Ohio were gun owners, [28:40] and they went almost 60% for George W. Bush. [28:43] George W. Bush gets West Virginia. [28:45] West Virginia... [28:46] ...which has been solidly [28:47] in the Democratic column [28:48] for a long, long time. [28:49] Bill Clinton's home state has gone... [28:51] And Arkansas. [28:52] ...six electoral votes, [28:53] and they go for Bush. [28:54] And even Al Gore's home state of Tennessee. [28:57] Embarrassing Vice President Gore [28:59] by snatching his state's 11 electoral votes. [29:02] Al Gore lost his home state, [29:05] lost West Virginia. [29:07] These are states that he should have won. [29:09] Had any of those states gone the other way, [29:12] Al Gore would have been president. [29:14] Florida goes Bush. [29:15] The presidency is Bush. [29:17] That's it. [29:18] In Washington, [29:19] they say the NRA was a decisive factor [29:21] in Al Gore's defeat. [29:23] In no small measure, [29:25] it was that fight over guns [29:27] after Columbine [29:28] that had the firearm community [29:32] more enlivened, engaged, [29:34] and a few votes difference in Florida, [29:37] and the whole thing [29:38] would have gone the other way. [29:41] I, George Walker Bush, [29:42] do solemnly swear [29:43] that I will faithfully execute [29:44] the office of President of the United States. [29:47] George W. Bush's inauguration [29:49] would mark the beginning of a decade [29:50] where gun control was off the agenda in Washington. [29:55] The assault weapons ban would expire. [29:58] The Supreme Court would rule [29:59] that individuals had a constitutional right [30:02] to own guns. [30:05] Congress would pass a law [30:06] to protect gun makers from lawsuits. [30:10] The gun control forces were left in disarray. [30:13] Gun control movement is fragmented. [30:16] You don't have what you need [30:18] to mount a true movement, [30:20] which is committed warriors. [30:23] People who don't need money, [30:25] who don't need fancy galas, [30:28] who come out because they care. [30:31] That's what the gun people have. [30:33] For the NRA, it was total victory. [30:36] Located emergency. [31:03] Sandy Hook School. [31:04] I think there's somebody shooting in here. [31:06] Sandy Hook School. [31:08] Eleven years later. [31:09] They're still running. [31:11] They're still shooting. [31:11] One hundred fifty-four rounds [31:14] from a Bushmaster's semi-automatic rifle. [31:26] It was Friday morning, December 14th. [31:29] I believe they're shooting. [31:31] It's still happening. [31:33] It lasted less than six minutes. [31:36] I keep hearing shooting. [31:37] I keep hearing popping. [31:38] This time, it was six and seven-year-olds. [31:41] Please hurry. [31:41] Please hurry. [31:42] We smell fire. [31:44] You guys come in my room now. [31:45] Get in here. [31:46] Okay, well... [31:47] There's still shooting going on. [31:49] Please. [31:49] I need, I need assistance here immediately. [31:54] Okay, bear. [31:55] I still hear I'm shooting. [31:57] Twenty children and six adults were shot dead. [32:00] Get everybody you can going down there. [32:02] All right, let me... [32:02] Outside, it was chaos. [32:04] I have five children who ran from Sandy Hook School. [32:09] They were just more emergency vehicles [32:11] and personnel helicopters [32:13] than I'd ever seen in my life. [32:15] I couldn't, I just, it was a surreal scene. [32:17] I just couldn't believe it. [32:18] Mark Barden's son, Daniel, [32:22] was a first grader at Sandy Hook Elementary. [32:25] More and more of the kids [32:27] were being collected by their families [32:28] and no Daniel, [32:31] and there was this growing group of parents [32:34] that were growing in concern, [32:36] where, where is my child? [32:39] Nicole Hockley's son, Dylan, [32:40] was another first grader at Sandy Hook. [32:42] I saw some first graders, but I couldn't, [32:45] they were all sitting down, [32:47] but I couldn't see Dylan's class. [32:51] You know, and you're searching, [32:53] searching the eyes, [32:54] searching the faces for someone that you recognize, [32:57] and I just, I couldn't. [33:02] They told us that [33:03] if you haven't been reunited with your loved one yet, [33:06] you're not going to be, [33:10] so that it was just... [33:12] The room just erupted, [33:17] but even then I still didn't believe that Dylan was dead [33:23] because none of it made any sense whatsoever. [33:28] This is a school. [33:29] These are first grade kids. [33:31] This doesn't happen. [33:33] He on his face, [33:58] the pain and the, and the angst, [34:01] and the president said [34:03] it was the saddest day of his presidency. [34:06] Newtown had the same impact on Barack Obama [34:10] that Columbine had had on Bill Clinton. [34:12] What happened in Newtown broke his heart. [34:16] It was devastating for everybody. [34:19] The majority of those who died today [34:23] were children, [34:26] beautiful little kids [34:27] between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. [34:41] They had their entire lives ahead of them, [34:44] birthdays, graduations, weddings, [34:50] kids of their own. [34:51] You could see when he spoke [34:57] just how sickened he was by the whole thing. [35:03] As a country, [35:07] we have been through this too many times. [35:12] May God bless the memory of the victims [35:13] and in the words of Sprickshire, [35:19] heal the brokenhearted [35:19] and bind up their wounds. [35:22] This time, [35:26] Obama decided to try to do something. [35:28] It was like, [35:33] if this isn't going to do it, [35:34] then what is? [35:35] And so they knew they had to act quickly [35:36] because you have to capture that concern [35:39] and that attention [35:40] that the issue is getting. [35:41] He handed the job [35:43] to Vice President Joe Biden [35:45] and told the staff [35:46] to make something happen. [35:49] It was in a context of sorrow, [35:52] extreme, [35:54] I mean, [35:56] anger and frustration [35:57] about why can't we do something about this? [36:00] It was like, [36:01] enough is enough is enough. [36:04] Put together something for me, Joe. [36:05] This time, [36:08] it was also a crisis for Wayne LaPierre. [36:12] Within the inner circles of the NRA, [36:14] the wives of senior NRA officials [36:17] shedding tears [36:18] and saying to their husbands, [36:20] something has to happen. [36:22] You have to do something different, honey. [36:26] His advisors wanted him to lie low, [36:29] but LaPierre had a very different idea. [36:32] Expecting trouble, [36:33] he hired personal security guards [36:35] and headed into Washington. [36:37] Without telling anyone, [36:39] LaPierre himself staged [36:40] a press conference in Washington, D.C. [36:43] The media gathered. [36:46] Many expected a chastened [36:47] and conciliatory LaPierre. [36:50] I think there was an assumption [36:51] that surely he's going to throw [36:53] the gun safety advocates, [36:56] and for that matter, [36:56] the Newtown parents, [36:58] some kind of bone. [36:59] But LaPierre had something else in mind. [37:02] The only way, [37:03] The only way to stop a monster [37:06] from killing our kids [37:08] is to be personally involved [37:10] and invested in a plan [37:12] of absolute protection. [37:14] The only thing that stops [37:17] a bad guy with a gun [37:19] is a good guy with a gun. [37:23] And he almost immediately [37:24] goes right back [37:25] to what they usually say, [37:26] which is that the answer [37:27] to this is more guns. [37:29] What if when Adam Lanza [37:32] started shooting his way [37:34] in the Sandy Hook Elementary School [37:37] last Friday? [37:40] He'd been confronted [37:41] by qualified armed security. [37:45] His comments are aimed directly [37:47] at the gun owners of America [37:50] to rile them up, [37:52] to get them behind the NRA's [37:54] no-holds-barred, [37:56] never-say-die, [37:57] you know, [37:58] no-compromise position. [37:59] Our children, [38:03] we as a society [38:04] leave them every day [38:08] utterly defenseless. [38:11] And the monsters [38:12] and the predators [38:13] of the world [38:15] know it [38:17] and exploit it. [38:19] In Washington, [38:20] they said the speech [38:20] was a political disaster. [38:23] In New York City, [38:27] LaPierre was called [38:28] the craziest man on Earth [38:29] and a gun nut. [38:32] But those who know LaPierre [38:33] say the speech [38:34] was no miscalculation. [38:35] This was not off-the-cuff. [38:38] He didn't lose it. [38:39] This was very thought-out. [38:40] And they decided on a strategy [38:41] and they executed the strategy. [38:43] Because the people [38:44] that it resonated with [38:45] gave more money. [38:47] And this is what [38:48] you need to do [38:49] in order to keep [38:51] that tough persona. [38:56] And we've got to send [38:57] the signal [38:57] that this is not the time [38:59] to compromise, [39:00] that Obama is the enemy, [39:02] and they want to take [39:03] your guns away. [39:04] Yes, it's too bad [39:05] about the kids, [39:07] but we are not [39:07] going to back down. [39:12] In Newtown, [39:14] once again out of grief, [39:16] an impromptu political [39:17] movement was forming. [39:18] Friends and neighbors [39:19] were determined [39:19] to do everything [39:20] within their power [39:21] to make a difference. [39:23] We created a name [39:24] for our group, [39:25] Sandy Hook Promise. [39:27] We then developed [39:28] a promise, [39:29] which is the essence [39:30] of what we believe [39:32] must be done. [39:33] I just had no idea [39:34] what to do. [39:36] I didn't know anything [39:38] about gun violence. [39:40] I didn't know anything [39:40] about politics. [39:42] It's been one month [39:43] since I lost my son, [39:44] Dylan, [39:45] and 25 other families [39:46] lost their loved ones. [39:48] We don't really know [39:49] what we're going to do [39:50] or we don't really [39:51] have an agenda. [39:52] We're not sure [39:52] what it wants to be yet. [39:54] They began by [39:55] talking to experts. [39:57] The very first thing [39:58] I said to them [39:59] in our very first meeting [40:00] was, [40:01] you are about to wade [40:02] into the roughest waters [40:03] in American politics. [40:05] Nothing is nastier [40:06] than the gun debate. [40:08] And they had, [40:09] what I think any reasonable [40:11] expectation would be [40:12] is we have just been [40:14] through the worst gun event [40:16] in the history [40:17] of the United States [40:18] and something surely [40:19] is going to change. [40:23] Some of the families [40:24] wanted to push [40:25] to outlaw the types [40:26] of weapons used [40:27] in the Sandy Hook shooting, [40:29] high capacity magazines [40:30] and assault weapons. [40:33] But the seasoned veterans [40:34] of the political gun wars [40:35] delivered a dose of reality. [40:39] What I knew [40:40] and was able to impart [40:42] eventually to them [40:43] was that a new [40:45] assault weapons ban [40:46] was not going to happen. [40:48] That there was basically [40:49] no appetite for that [40:50] in Congress. [40:52] That the high capacity [40:53] clip ban made sense [40:56] but probably also [40:58] was politically impossible [41:00] in part because there [41:01] just were so many [41:02] high capacity clips [41:03] in circulation. [41:04] You can buy them [41:04] on the internet [41:04] for $10. [41:07] That was an unfortunate [41:09] learning for me [41:11] and that, you know, [41:13] there's going to be [41:13] a resistance to this. [41:14] They were told [41:17] the very best [41:18] they could hope for [41:19] was expanding [41:19] background checks, [41:21] closing that gun show loophole. [41:24] And even that [41:24] would be an uphill battle. [41:26] In memory of those lost, [41:27] in tribute to their families, [41:29] I ask that you please [41:30] join me now [41:31] in a brief moment of silence. [41:40] Reality was setting in [41:42] at the White House too. [41:43] As Christmas approached, [41:47] Joe Biden's task force [41:48] debated how to respond. [41:50] Some worried [41:51] the president himself [41:52] would be a liability. [41:54] Since the president's [41:55] trust with Republicans [41:56] was already so damaged [41:57] from health care, [41:58] from the fiscal cliff fights [42:00] and from all the other [42:00] fights he'd had with them. [42:02] If he were to say, [42:04] I want you to do this [42:05] and I want you to do that, [42:07] it would have been [42:08] dead immediately [42:09] because most Republicans [42:11] didn't want anything to do [42:12] with something [42:13] that he supported. [42:15] What the White House [42:16] needed was someone [42:17] from Congress [42:18] who could try to find [42:19] middle ground [42:20] in the highly polarized [42:21] world of gun politics. [42:23] As your senator, [42:24] I'll protect [42:25] our Second Amendment rights. [42:27] That's why the NRA [42:27] endorsed me. [42:28] I'll take on Washington [42:30] and this administration [42:31] to get the federal government [42:32] off of our backs [42:33] and out of our pockets. [42:34] And I'll take dead aim [42:36] at the cap-and-trade bill. [42:38] Joe Manchin, [42:39] an A-rated NRA member [42:41] and junior senator [42:42] from West Virginia, [42:43] was shaken [42:44] by the Newtown shootings. [42:46] It really got to me. [42:47] These are babies, [42:48] five- and six-year-old children. [42:50] Who would have ever... [42:51] It's just beyond my imagination, [42:53] most Americans, [42:54] to conceive that anything [42:55] this horrific could happen [42:57] in America. [42:59] Light bulbs went off [43:00] at the Capitol. [43:02] Harry Reid's people [43:03] and Chuck Schumer [43:04] and their aides realized, [43:05] wait a second, [43:06] we now have a Democrat [43:08] with an A rating [43:09] from the NRA [43:10] saying he wants [43:10] to do something. [43:14] Manchin's plan [43:14] was to draft [43:15] a simple bill [43:16] that would require [43:17] background checks [43:18] at thousands of gun shows [43:20] where a significant number [43:21] of sales take place. [43:23] He hoped that even [43:24] the NRA would be on board. [43:26] So Manchin's argument [43:27] to the NRA is, [43:29] look, this is... [43:30] you'll never find [43:31] a gun safety bit [43:32] of legislation [43:32] that is as gun-friendly [43:33] as this. [43:34] And all we're really doing [43:35] is closing a loophole. [43:37] I felt this would be [43:39] something that they [43:40] would embrace. [43:41] It was truly a time [43:42] that Wayne LaPierre [43:43] and the NRA [43:44] and the leadership [43:45] could have rose [43:46] to another level, [43:47] complete another level. [43:50] With polls showing [43:51] wide public support [43:52] for expanding background checks, [43:54] Manchin and the vice president [43:55] figured they had a chance. [43:58] I was optimistic. [43:59] Over 91% of the American people [44:02] supported expanding [44:03] background checks. [44:05] 80% of the households [44:07] that had an NRA member [44:08] supported it. [44:11] At first, there was hope [44:12] LaPierre might go along [44:13] with the bill. [44:15] The NRA went to meetings [44:16] with Manchin. [44:17] They made some suggestions [44:18] on some wording and changes [44:19] from that standpoint. [44:20] So yes, they had input [44:21] and we valued that input. [44:23] We're starting to see [44:24] almost a glimmer of possibility [44:28] in Washington [44:29] where the NRA [44:31] is at least talking [44:33] to Manchin. [44:34] But many in the gun rights [44:36] community were furious [44:37] at the talk of compromise. [44:40] The two small groups, [44:41] the Gun Owners of America [44:42] and the National Association [44:43] of Gun Rights, [44:44] began to circulate letters [44:45] saying, [44:47] we hear that the NRA [44:48] is compromising [44:49] with Manchin. [44:50] They're, [44:50] and they used that word, [44:52] the dreaded C word, [44:53] that there's a compromise bill. [44:56] Larry Pratt [44:57] was the executive director [44:58] of Gun Owners of America, [45:00] representing 300,000 [45:02] of the most fervent [45:03] gun rights activists. [45:04] The Manchin bill [45:06] was not aiming [45:07] at loopholes. [45:08] It was aiming [45:09] at nailing down [45:10] some remaining freedom [45:12] that American people have. [45:16] Gun control simply kills people. [45:18] And for Senator Manchin [45:19] to wave the bloody shirts [45:21] of those children [45:21] from Newtown [45:22] is despicable. [45:28] Pratt quickly issued [45:29] an alert to his members, [45:30] warning them about [45:31] the NRA's talks [45:32] with Manchin. [45:33] We put out an alert [45:35] saying, [45:36] please, [45:36] if you belong to the NRA, [45:38] call this guy [45:39] at this number [45:39] and ask him [45:40] to urge the powers that be [45:42] to oppose the bill. [45:44] At NRA headquarters, [45:46] they got the message. [45:47] The NRA's main anxiety [45:49] at that moment [45:49] is not losing, [45:53] is not seeing something enacted. [45:55] It's not looking soft [45:57] to their own membership [45:58] and to the substantial number [46:01] of Americans [46:02] who probably number [46:04] in the millions [46:05] who think the NRA [46:07] is not tough enough. [46:09] In the middle of April, [46:10] the NRA pulled out [46:11] of the talks. [46:12] Suddenly, [46:13] the NRA stopped cooperating [46:14] with Manchin, [46:16] stopped returning their email, [46:17] stopped calling. [46:18] We are not going to let... [46:19] LaPierre launched [46:20] a full-scale assault [46:21] on the legislation. [46:23] Remember this TV... [46:24] And even went after [46:25] Senator Manchin. [46:26] If you're Senator, [46:26] I'll protect [46:27] our Second Amendment rights. [46:28] That was Joe Manchin's commitment. [46:30] But now, [46:31] Manchin is working [46:32] with President Obama [46:33] and New York Mayor [46:34] Michael Bloomberg, [46:36] concerned you should be. [46:37] Senator Manchin [46:38] was vilified by the NRA. [46:41] It was almost like [46:42] a personal vendetta. [46:44] So they, you know, [46:45] they chewed up [46:46] one of their own. [46:47] It was stupid. [46:49] Absolutely stupid. [46:52] The NRA activated [46:53] its playbook, [46:55] denouncing the legislation, [46:58] alerting its members, [47:00] and threatening lawmakers. [47:02] You can deal with anything [47:03] that you know up front [47:04] you're dealing with. [47:05] I knew they were not [47:06] going to be supportive. [47:06] I was fine with that. [47:08] I didn't know [47:09] that they would be [47:09] in opposition as strong [47:10] as they would [47:11] and come out [47:11] as strong as they did. [47:12] But the Democrats [47:15] had a secret weapon, [47:18] and one day, [47:19] she appeared on Capitol Hill, [47:23] Gabby Giffords. [47:27] Giffords had been pro-gun, [47:29] the proud owner [47:30] of a Glock 17 handgun. [47:32] You must do something. [47:42] It will be hard, [47:45] but the time is now. [47:48] You must be bold, [47:55] be courageous. [47:58] Americans are counting on you. [48:03] Thank you. [48:04] Gun control legislation [48:12] for votes taken today [48:13] on the gun safety legislation. [48:15] Members of the family [48:15] in the gallery today [48:17] as this vote happens. [48:19] Sitting in the gallery, [48:21] watching the vote, [48:21] I was so anxious, [48:25] and I genuinely thought [48:28] we were going to be okay. [48:29] Call the roll. [48:30] It would be close, [48:32] but I thought [48:34] it would go through. [48:36] Mr. Baucus, Mr. Begich. [48:38] The votes of five key senators [48:40] would decide the matter. [48:42] None of them would agree [48:43] to talk to Frontline [48:44] about their position. [48:46] As the roll was called, [48:47] the crucial votes [48:48] were slipping away. [48:50] I remember sitting there [48:51] kind of in a daze. [48:52] Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, [48:54] Mr. Lee. [48:55] And that's about all. [48:55] I just, I'm sorry [48:56] that I have such a, [48:57] you know, I think my psyche [49:00] was just kind of letting in [49:01] little bits at a time. [49:03] It was just also, [49:05] it was such a whirlwind [49:05] of craziness for me. [49:08] Mr. Schumer, Mr. Scott, [49:09] Mr. Sessions, [49:10] Mr. Shaheen, Mr. Shelby. [49:12] Also watching in the gallery, [49:14] Tucson survivor Pat Mache. [49:16] It went from being sad [49:18] to being mad. [49:19] They're all down there [49:21] in their good old boy stance, [49:24] shaking hands, chatting. [49:30] On his vote, [49:31] the amendment is not agreed to. [49:34] Like, people's lives [49:35] aren't in the balance on this. [49:38] And I just thought [49:39] they needed to be shamed. [49:42] They should be ashamed [49:44] of themselves. [49:45] I stood up and said, [49:47] shame on you. [49:50] Reorder in the Senate. [49:52] Because they needed [49:53] to be shamed. [49:54] Shame on them. [49:55] Shame on me. [49:56] If after what I've gotten [49:58] to witness, [49:59] I choose to be quiet. [50:01] I'm surprised that she [50:02] was the only one actually [50:02] that burst out [50:05] because it was so intense [50:10] and so charged. [50:13] The gallery will refrain [50:14] from any demonstration [50:16] or comments. [50:18] They felt betrayed. [50:20] That's the word. [50:21] Betrayed. [50:22] How could they vote that way? [50:25] Don't they understand [50:26] what happened? [50:28] How can they do that? [50:30] How can this be? [50:31] I mean, it was disbelief [50:33] and a sense of betrayal. [50:36] That was the mode. [50:39] Manchin's bill [50:39] had fallen five votes short. [50:42] The defeat effectively ended [50:44] any talk of a national effort [50:46] at gun control. [50:48] It's over for now [50:49] and it may be over [50:50] for a very, very long time. [50:54] Victory builds the next victory. [50:57] Defeat builds the next defeat. [50:58] We can't ever afford [50:59] to lose one [51:00] because then we've lost [51:02] something tangible [51:04] and essential [51:05] to the definition [51:07] of being an American. [51:10] In Washington, [51:10] they say the NRA [51:12] came out of the shootings [51:13] at Sandy Hook [51:13] stronger than ever. [51:14] The NRA plays [51:17] the game of democracy [51:18] more effectively [51:19] than any other [51:21] influence group [51:21] in Washington. [51:22] It is an organization [51:24] that works the levers [51:25] of democracy [51:25] in a way [51:26] that is not illegal [51:28] or improper. [51:30] It's just very, [51:30] very effective. [51:34] Mark my words, [51:36] the NRA [51:37] will not go quietly [51:40] into the night. [51:43] We will fight! [51:46] Neither Wayne LaPierre [51:47] nor any current NRA official [51:49] would agree to be interviewed [51:51] for this film. [52:25] For more on this [52:25] and other Frontline programs, [52:27] visit our website [52:28] at pbs.org slash Frontline. [52:32] Gunned Down [52:42] is available on DVD. [52:44] To order, [52:45] visit shoppbs.org [52:46] or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. [52:50] Frontline is also available [52:52] for download on iTunes.