U.S. Congressman Tom Reed said under the Second Amendment, gun ownership is a fundamental individual freedom.
Instead of new gun control measures, Reed said America needs to make mental health a priority. And he says criminals who use guns need to be taken off the streets.
"I think there's some opportunity there for common ground," Reed told reporters during his weekly conference call.
"Rather than go after law abiding citizens maybe we should go after the root cause of the problem. And that's usually criminal or somebody who's in need of mental health services. And I think it would only be right that we focus on that type of area as we go forward."
The Corning Republican said executive action by President Obama "is the wrong path to take." He says if the President is serious about stopping gun violence he should work with the House and the Senate.