Mayor Barrett attending day-long regional gun summit on Thursday

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is taking a stand against gun violence -- rallying Midwest leaders and police chiefs at a summit in Minneapolis set for Thursday, January 10th. Meanwhile, gun advocates say it is merely a tactic to put tighter restrictions on gun owners.

Recent mass shootings like that in Newtown, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado and even in Oak Creek, Wisconsin have led some to call for changes when it comes to gun control. 

Mayor Barrett is reacting by calling for an open conversation about gun violence.

"We're dealing with the people who are on the front line in trying to reduce gun violence in America," Mayor Barrett said.

Mayor Barrett is attending a day-long regional summit in Minneapolis on Thursday. 

"It's all a Midwestern focus and it's on what we can do to reduce gun violence," Mayor Barrett said.

Mayor Barrett wants a discussion of tighter laws on semi-automatic weapons and stopping loopholes with private gun sales.

"Clearly, we have to make sure that people who purchase guns have to have the ability to own them legally," Mayor Barrett said.

Meanwhile, Pro-Gun Movement Director Jim Fendrey says he sees this summit as an attack on the second amendment.

"What they're doing is taking advantage of the situation that has developed to plan a strategy to try to restrict firearms. Guns aren't the issue. We have over 20,000 gun laws. Another gun law wouldn't make any difference," Fendrey said.