Oak Creek's mayor returns from Washington talks on gun control

OAK CREEK (WITI) -- One of the issues Pres. Barack Obama touched on in his inauguration speech was gun control. The mayor of Oak Creek was just in Washington, D.C. to talk about that very subject.

Mayor Steve Scaffidi was among those invited to the nation's capital to meet with Pres. Obama as he unveiled his proposals for new gun laws. He spoke with FOX6's A.J. Bayatpour on Monday, January 21st after returning from the trip.

"We talked briefly about the Sikh community and Brian Murphy but obviously, you don't get a lot of time when you're in the White House and it was a brief conversation but I'm happy he was there and I was happy I got to meet him," said Scaffidi.

Along with Brookfield Mayor Steven Ponto, Scaffidi also met with the mayors of Aurora, Colorado, Tucson, Arizona and Blacksburg, Virginia. They're all communities that have experienced a mass shooting.

Scaffidi says while the president and vice president discussed guns, the mayors agreed to focus on helping the mentally ill.

"Can we find solutions locally that make sense? Can we find funding for these, whether it's federal funds or private? And immediately provide mental health solutions in the community," said Scaffidi.

On a day where thousands gather to inaugurate the president's second term, Mayor Scaffidi calls on all Americans to help prevent another mass shooting by demanding action from their elected officials.

"It's a moment in time when you can actually make a change that makes people safer and changes the country and move it in the right direction. So I'm willing to risk having people mad at me to do something important," said Scaffidi.

Scaffidi went to Washington with one, very special piece of luggage -- a letter members of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin wrote to the president and first lady. During his brief chat with Pres. Obama, Scaffidi handed him the letter.