Senate shoots down gun control plan: five key issues

Does US senate's rejection of tighter gun laws mean memory of Sandy Hook massacre is fading?

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THE push for tougher gun laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre has hit a major roadblock after the US senate defeated plans yesterday to expand background checks on firearms sales. The decision was criticised by President Obama who attacked the National Rifle Association and those senators who opposed the plan for ignoring the will of the American people. Here are five things you should know:

It wasn't only the background check plan that was defeated: The senate's rejection of the bipartisan proposal for background checks is seen as the biggest setback for the White House. But the senate also blocked or defeated separate measures to ban some types of semi-automatic rifle and limit the size of ammunition magazines.

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