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‘The problem is guns’: UN human rights chief criticizes US gun laws after Orlando shooting

Click to play video: 'Gun control debate reignites between US politicians after Orlando shooting'
Gun control debate reignites between US politicians after Orlando shooting
WATCH: Gun control debate reignites between US politicians after Orlando shooting – Jun 13, 2016

GENEVA – The office of the U.N. human rights chief is decrying “insufficient gun control” in the United States and urging its leaders “to live up to its obligations to protect its citizens.”

READ MORE: Thousands attend vigil in Orlando as probe continues for motive of nightclub shooter

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In the wake of a gunman’s deadly attack on a Florida nightclub, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein criticized “irresponsible pro-gun propaganda” in the U.S. claiming that firearms make society safer, “when all evidence points to the contrary.” He questioned the ease with which people in the U.S. can obtain firearms and assault weapons like one used in Sunday’s attack

READ MORE: Orlando shooting: Critics say buying assault rifles in Florida way too easy

Citing a U.N. report on firearms in April, Zeid pointed to examples of how control of firearms in many countries led to a “dramatic reduction in violent crime.”

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Office spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters Tuesday in Geneva: “The problem is the guns.”

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