Obama's Gun Actions Stirring Debate In Maryland

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Taking action himself. Without Congress, the president unveils what he thinks needs to be done to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Rick Ritter speaks with gun control advocates and opponents here in Maryland.

It's no secret in Maryland that gun violence has hit our communities hard--with more than 300 homicides in Baltimore alone in 2015--but some feel what the president had to say is not the solution.

Heartache no parent should endure. For Daphne Alston and Rhonda Cook, every day is a struggle.

"This is really real. It's not a movie," said Cook.

Both lost their sons to gun violence in Maryland--one murdered in Harford County; one in Baltimore City.

"When is the change going to start? How many more young men and women have to die for the change to start?" Cook said.

With 344 homicides, 2015 was one of the deadliest years in Baltimore history.

In 2014, it was the Columbia mall shooting that rocked headlines. The suspect struggled with mental health issues, fixated on mass shootings--bloodshed the president hopes to soon grip.

Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson was at the White House Tuesday.

"We think these measures are significant, they will make a difference, they're reasonable, they still protect the second amendment," said Johnson.

Maryland already has some of the strictest gun control laws in the entire country. Many say the executive actions the president outlined on Tuesday are far from new.

Read the full transcript of Obama's speech.

"What he is talking about will have no effect on me as a store. We already do all of the paperwork, we have all the mental health forms, the paperwork, it's all being done," said Frank Loane, gun shop owner.

Loane owns the Pasadena Pawn and Gun Shop. He says the actions don't hit the issue.

"The bad guy is always going to get a gun. The good guy goes to the store and does it right," said Loane.

But for some, the president's urgency is a step towards saving lives.

A new CBS poll shows only 50 percent of Americans think stricter gun laws will help reduce gun violence.

Republicans have vowed to fight and reverse the president's actions.