Effort To Ban Weapon Used In Newtown Failed In 2001, But Lawmakers Seek New Gun Restrictions

HARTFORD — Less than a week after the Newtown school massacre, state lawmakers are calling for sweeping new restrictions on guns and ammunition — while a key legislative leader says that the Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle used in last Friday's shootings would have been banned by a 2001 bill that failed after winning state Senate approval.

By DANIELA ALTIMARI and JON LENDER, dnaltimari@courant.com

December 20, 2012