FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday channeled 1970s action star Charles Bronson in defending Second Amendment rights in the aftermath of the shooting at an Oregon community college that left nine dead. 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump signs autographs after speaking to campaign supporters, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Franklin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to supporters as he leaves an event, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Franklin, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) (Associated Press) 
 
 Trump said in a rally in suburban Nashville that he has a handgun carry permit in New York. He added that any attacker will be "shocked" if he tries to assault him, and that he would emulate Bronson in the vigilante film "Death Wish." 
 
 "Can you imagine with Trump, somebody says, 'Ohhh, all these big monsters aren't around, he's easy pickins, and then ... pu-ching!" Trump said to laughter and applause. "So this is about self-defense, plain and simple." 
 
 Trump criticized "gun-free zones," saying that the Oregon shootings could have been limited if instructors or students had been armed. He said better mental health care would help curb future shootings. 
 
 "Many states and many cities are closing their mental health facilities and closing them down, and they're closing them because they don't have the funding," he said. "And we have to start looking much stronger into mental health." 
 
 While Trump warned that "no matter what you do, you will always have problems," he argued that it doesn't make sense to limit access to firearms. 
 
 "It's not the guns," Trump said during his hourlong speech. "It's the people, it's these sick people." 
 
 He also criticized President Barack Obama's comments in response to the shootings as "divisive." 
 
 Trump's positions on gun control have evolved significantly over the years. While he now touts the National Rifle Association line, he once backed the ban on assault weapons and longer waiting periods for gun purchases. 
 
 "I'm a very, very big Second Amendment person," Trump said on Saturday. 
 
 Trump reminisced about Bronson's "Death Wish" and got people in the crowd to shout out the title of the 1974 film in unison. In the movie, an affluent, liberal architect embarks on a vigilante mission after his life is shattered by thugs who kill his wife and rape his daughter. 
 
 "Today you can't make that movie because it's not politically correct," Trump said. 
 
 Saturday marked the second time Trump had spoken in the Nashville area in five weeks. Tennessee is among the states holding their primaries on March 1, also called Super Tuesday, and he noted that his comments brought a strong response from the overflow crowd in gun-friendly Tennessee. 
 
 "As soon as I mentioned it the place went absolutely wild," he said. ||||| Three days after a gunman killed nine people at an Oregon community college and then shot himself dead, the Republican presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, seemed to accept the inevitability of mass shootings in the US. 
 
 994 mass shootings in 1,004 days: this is what America's gun crisis looks like Read more 
 
 In a rare sit-down interview, for broadcast on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Trump told Chuck Todd: “I have to say, no matter what you do, you’re gonna have problems. 
 
 “Because you have sick people. They happen to be intelligent. And, you know, they can be sick as hell and they’re geniuses in a certain way. They are going to be able to break the system.” 
 
 The New York real-estate billionaire, who boasts of possessing a concealed carry permit, said he did not see the need for increased firearms regulations after the mass shooting in Oregon. 
 
 He amplified the argument in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week, saying: “The gun laws have nothing to do with this. This is mental illness.” 
 
 At a rally in suburban Nashville on Saturday, Trump mentioned his New York state handgun carry permit and added that anyone who attacked him would be “shocked”, because he would emulate Charles Bronson in the vigilante film Death Wish. 
 
 “I’m a very, very big second amendment person,” Trump said in Tennessee. “This is about self-defense, plain and simple.” 
 
 Trump reminisced about the Bronson-starring 1974 film and got people in the crowd to shout out the title in unison. In the movie, an affluent, liberal architect embarks on a vigilante mission after his wife is killed and his daughter raped. 
 
 “Today you can’t make that movie because it’s not politically correct,” Trump said. 
 
 Speaking to NBC, Trump said those US jurisdictions with “the strongest, the most stringent laws [on gun control] are in almost every case the worst places. It doesn’t seem to work.” 
 
 Instead, at both rally and in the interview, as on the day of the shooting, the Republican frontrunner blamed mental illness for such shootings as that at Umpqua Community College. 
 
 Trump also defended his newly introduced tax plan, which independent economists estimate will cost $12tn over 10 years, by noting his ability to cut costs. He pointed to transportation as one place where he could save money. 
 
 “I look at the cost of a road where they’re gonna spend $600m building a simple road,” said Trump. “And I don’t mean I’m gonna save you a little bit. We’re gonna bring in … you’re gonna build a better road. You’re gonna have a better road for a fraction of the cost.” 
 
 Oregon shooting: Jeb Bush says 'stuff happens' as left calls for gun control Read more 
 
 Speaking to ABC, Trump also pushed back against those who have said he himself would save a significant amount of money under his tax plan. He claimed instead that the major tax cut in his plan would hurt him financially. Under the current tax code, Trump said, “I have very big deductions, some of them are ridiculous.” 
 
 He also hit back when NBC’s Todd pointed to polls which have him losing by a landslide to both vice-president Joe Biden and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders in any such general election matchup. 
 
 Trump, who has long touted his poll numbers in the Republican primary, said: “I haven’t focused on Bernie Sanders.” 
 
 He added: “I’ve been a guy that wins most of the time. And if I don’t win, I make it into a win.” ||||| SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email 
 
 President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s willing to take on the National Rifle Association though he doubts they will resist his response to the high school massacre that killed 17 people in Florida earlier this month. 
 
 Trump, in a freewheeling discussion with governors at the White House that lasted more than an hour, also said he would have run into the school unarmed to try to confront the attacker, contrasting his hypothetical response with sheriff’s deputies who didn’t enter the building during the rampage. 
 
 The president’s evolving responses to the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, have been largely consistent with the outlook of the NRA, particularly an emphasis Trump has put on arming school teachers. The organization has been a strong political ally of the president, spending $31 million in the 2016 election either to support Trump or attack his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. 
 
 “Don’t worry about the NRA, they’re on our side,” Trump said during the meeting with state governors, adding that he had lunch over the weekend with NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre and top lobbyist Chris Cox. “But sometimes we’re going to have to be very tough and we’re going to have to fight them.” 
 
 Businesses are rushing to cut ties to the NRA. Among the companies that severed deals with the NRA: Avis Budget Group Inc., Best Western International Inc., Chubb Ltd., Delta Air Lines Inc., MetLife Inc., Symantec Corp. and United Continental Holdings Inc. Others are under intense social media pressure to follow. 
 
 Trump suggested the country also should make it easier to involuntarily commit people to psychiatric institutions and open more such facilities. 
 
 “In the old days you’d put him in a mental institution, a lot of them, and you could nab somebody like this,” Trump said, referring to the accused Florida shooter, Nikolas Cruz. “Hopefully he gets help or whatever, but he’s off the streets.” 
 
 QuickTake: The U.S. Gun Debate Explained 
 
 “We’re going to have to start talking about mental institutions,” Trump said, complaining that states had closed too many “because of cost.” 
 
 Trump reiterated disparaging comments about the armed sheriff’s deputy assigned to the school who didn’t enter the school while the shooting was taking place, saying he “choked” under the pressure of the situation. He also referenced a CNN report that several other armed sheriff’s deputies who were among the first officers to arrive at the school didn’t initially enter. 
 
 "I really believe, you don’t know until you’re tested, but I think I’d, I really believe I’d run in even if I didn’t have a weapon,” Trump said. 
 
 Monday’s meeting at the White House was a wide-ranging discussion of ideas to address gun violence at schools. Suggestions ranged from a possibly new rating system for violent videos to arming teachers to filling schools with smoke during an attack to make it harder for a shooter to find targets. 
 
 Trump has called for changes in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at the Parkland high school. He has voiced support for expanding the background check system to include more mental health information, raising the age for the purchase of some guns to 21 from 18, and regulatory action ending the sale of “bump stocks.” 
 
 White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders injected a bit of uncertainty on the president’s backing for raising age limits, saying the president is “supportive of the concept” but the idea is “still being discussed” and the president’s position will depend on the final form of legislation. 
 
 Trump has signaled support for a bipartisan bill from Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, known as Fix-NICS. It would penalize federal agencies that fail to report relevant criminal records that would bar someone from purchasing a firearm under current law to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. 
 
 Trump told the governors the administration is “going to strengthen” the measure. 
 
 Concealed Weapons 
 
 The background checks legislation stalled in a Senate committee, but elements of it passed in the House, paired with a requirement opposed by gun-control advocates that every state recognize licenses to carry a concealed handgun issued by other states. NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said the concealed carry law is the group’s top priority but the NRA would support the background check bill even without the added provision. 
 
 The House is waiting for the Senate to act, according to a senior Republican aide. Senate leaders haven’t indicated plans for considering the legislation. 
 
 Trump has been most vocal about a controversial proposal to allow some “talented” teachers to carry concealed firearms in schools. He has indicated that state governments might take the lead. Trump says “hardening” the schools would make them less attractive targets for a potential assailant. 
 
 “Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will protect them,” Trump posted on Twitter last week. “Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.” 
 
 ‘Less Tweeting’ 
 
 Trump on Monday reiterated his call for states to move forward without federal action. 
 
 “States can do most of this and we’ll back you up,” Trump said. “We’ll help you no matter what your solution is,” adding “my attitude is get it done and get it done properly.” 
 
 The White House is also considering the idea of using restraining orders to take firearms away from people considered dangerous as part of its response to the Parkland shooting, two people familiar with the matter said. 
 
 Jay Inslee, the Democratic governor of Washington, endorsed such an approach, saying his state has had success with so-called extreme risk protection orders. Inslee, though, pushed back on Trump’s idea of arming people at schools. “Educators should educate,” he said, adding that law enforcement and teachers do not support such a move. 
 
 “Let’s just take that off the table and move forward,” Inslee said. “I would suggest we need a little less tweeting here and a little more listening.” 
 
 Florida Governor Rick Scott unveiled a proposal last week to raise the age requirement for purchasing semiautomatic rifles to 21, and allow some guns to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed mentally unstable by a judge. 
 
 Scott has said he’s opposed to arming teachers, but supports increasing the number of law enforcement officials in schools. State legislators in Florida are considering proposals to allow for some school officials to be trained to carry concealed weapons. At the White House meeting on Monday, Scott also noted that students will be able to get more mental health counseling and he aims to have threat assessments in schools. 
 
 The Parkland massacre has “created momentum to make sure that something happens this time,” Scott said. 
 
 Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, which operates Bloomberg News, serves as a member of Everytown for Gun Safety’s advisory board and is a donor to the group. Everytown for Gun Safety advocates for universal background checks and other gun control measures. 
 
 — With assistance by Arit John, Sahil Kapur, and Jennifer Epstein ||||| Standing at the microphones, from left to right, Paul Delacourt, assistant director for the FBI Los Angeles, and U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley look on as Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Garo Kuredjian speaks... (Associated Press) 
 
 Standing at the microphones, from left to right, Paul Delacourt, assistant director for the FBI Los Angeles, and U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley look on as Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Garo Kuredjian speaks to the media, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Multiple people were fatally shot late... (Associated Press) 
 
 THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the shooting at a Southern California bar that left 13 dead, including the gunman (all times local): 
 
 11:55 a.m. 
 
 A law enforcement official says the gunman who killed 12 people at a Southern California bar posted to social media during the attack. 
 
 The official told The Associated Press that Ian David Long had Facebook and Instagram accounts and that he posted about his mental state and whether people would believe he was sane. 
 
 Authorities haven't determined a motive. The official said investigators are looking at possibilities including whether the gunman believed his former girlfriend would be at the bar. 
 
 The official was briefed on the investigation into Wednesday's night shooting but wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity. 
 
 Long shot and killed 12 people, including a police sergeant, at the Borderline Bar and Grill, a country music bar in suburban Los Angeles. Authorities believe he killed himself. 
 
 ___ 
 
 — Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:10 a.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is blaming mental illness for the California bar shooting that left 13 people dead, including the shooter. 
 
 Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, described gunman Ian David Long as "a very sick puppy" who had "a lot of problems." 
 
 Long, who opened fire at the country music bar in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday, was seen by a mental health specialist in April who worried the 28-year-old Marine veteran might have post-traumatic stress disorder. Investigators have not commented on a motive for the shooting, or whether mental illness played a role. 
 
 Trump touted his efforts to fund PTSD among veterans. But he declined to engage on questions on whether the nation needed stricter gun control laws. 
 
 Trump has closely aligned himself with the powerful gun lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, and has resisted calls for tougher firearms measures.
– Mass shootings in America aren't a gun problem, they're a mental health problem, according to Donald Trump. He told a rally in Nashville on Saturday that "it's not the guns, it's the people. It's these sick people," the AP reports. "Many states and many cities are closing their mental health facilities and closing them down, and they're closing them because they don't have the funding. And we have to start looking much stronger into mental health," he said. On NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Trump explained that gun control wouldn't help because "they can be sick as hell and they’re geniuses in a certain way. They are going to be able to break the system.” He also told NBC that to avoid copycat killings, the media should have followed the local sheriff's advice and refused to name the gunman after the mass shooting in Oregon. At the Nashville rally, Trump spoke against "gun-free zones," saying people "would have been a hell of a lot better off" if there had been "teachers with guns in that room" during the Oregon shooting, and said that since he has a handgun carry permit in New York, anyone who attacks him is in for a surprise, CNN reports. He brought up Charles Bronson's Death Wish, got the audience to chant the name of the movie, and said: "Today you can’t make that movie because it’s not politically correct," reports the Guardian. (Jeb Bush took a lot of heat for saying "Stuff happens" after the Oregon shooting.)