Democrat Running for Governor Takes Aim At Smith & Wesson, Wants Manufacturing Ban in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Massachusetts already has a ban on the ownership of assault weapons, but one Democrat for governor thinks the state could do more to disassociate itself from the types of firearms that have been used to execute multiple mass shootings around the country.

Jay Gonzalez, one of three Democrats running for governor, called Wednesday for the state to outlaw the manufacturing of assault rifles for commercial sale, targeting the Springfield-based Smith & Wesson, a major western Massachusetts employer.

Smith & Wesson, a subsidiary of American Outdoor Brands, manufactured the AR-15-style rifle used in the Parkland, Florida high school shooting.

Gonzalez offered his proposal hours before he joined students from Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Holyoke to rally outside the headquarters of Smith & Wesson to demand a meeting with the gun manufacturer’s chief executive to discuss how the manufacturer can help reduce gun violence.

“Weapons that cannot be legally purchased in Massachusetts should not be manufactured in our state,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve got to finally say enough is enough. The gun used in Parkland was manufactured by Smith & Wesson. If we had a law in place banning that from happening, that gun never would have ended up in the hands of that young man.”

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