How do Wisconsin gun laws compare to Florida?

NOW: How do Wisconsin gun laws compare to Florida?

Jeri Bonavia with the Wisconsin Anti-Violence effort says Wednesday's tragic shooting should force us to take a look at gun laws.

"We can't have watched what happened in Florida yesterday, and then do nothing," Bonavia said.

But Nik Clark with Wisconsin Carry says banning guns wouldn't have stopped it.

"Wisconsin bans guns on school grounds just like Florida does, and I think that what happened in Florida demonstrates why those laws are silly," Clark said.

Wisconsin and Florida gun laws are fairly similar in many major areas. Both allow rifle purchases at 18. The parkland shooter was 19.

Both also allow the kind of assault-rifle purchased. Florida laws are actually stricter in forcing a three day wait to buy a hand gun. But Florida also employs the controversial "stand-your-ground" law, as opposed to Wisconsin's "castle doctrine."

Clark says these shootings won't stop unless lawmakers allow teachers to carry guns.

"They'll continue to happen because the body count is always large because schools are very soft targets without armed guards to protect students," Clark said.

Bonavia says a few states have a law that could have prevented the shooting, where family and law enforcement can ask a court to temporarily take guns away from potential threats.

"The shooter in Parkland Florida did have a history of escalating types of violence. Other people had kind of called out his behavior, and there were red flags everywhere."

The Parkland shooter did pass a background check before he legally purchasing the gun he used. Wisconsin and Florida both require background checks, but only if you buy from a licensed dealer. There are no laws on the Wisconsin books that would have prevented the shooting that happened in Florida.

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