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U.S. presidential prospect vows to eliminate gun-free zones

Xinhua, May 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Friday that he would eliminate gun-free zones if elected.

During a speech at a National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Trump invoked the 2015 shooting spree at two military facilities in Tennessee, where four marines were shot down.

"We're getting rid of gun-free zones, OK," said Trump, arguing that the victims were killed because they were barred from carrying weapons and therefore could not defend themselves.

The remarks, made moments after the NRA endorsed him for president, come as the real estate tycoon-turned presidential hopeful is seeking to reconcile with GOP conservatives after a divisive primary season.

The latest statement marked a departure from his early remarks. In 2012, he publicly supported U.S. President Barack Obama's call for tougher gun-safety measures in the wake of a shooting incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children. Endi