Oregon Sheriff Doesn’t Want to Talk About His Anti-Gun Control Letter

The Oregon sheriff managing the investigation into the Thursday shooting at Umpqua Community College is staying silent about a 2013 letter he wrote to Vice President Joe Biden opposing gun control laws advocated by the White House.

In his letter, Sheriff John Hanlin said he wouldn’t enforce any “unconstitutional” gun laws that came down via federal order. “Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,” he wrote.

On Friday, he declined to directly comment on the letter in an interview on the TODAY show. “Well, first of all, there’s a lot of talk about guns and gun control and that is a conversation we will all be having in the coming weeks, but right now I’m focused on completing this investigation, and more importantly, focused on the victims and families of the victims,” he said when asked about the letter.

A gunman wreaked havoc on the college in Roseburg, Ore. Thursday in a shooting that left at least 10 dead. Hanlin has also said he would not mention the shooter’s name while discussing the investigation in order to avoid giving him fame.

[NBC News]