The American College of Physicians is calling for federal action on firearms following Sunday night's mass shooting in Las Vegas.
The group specifically seeks to prevent people from selling and owning automatic and semiautomatic weapons.
"These are military-style 'assault' weapons that were designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible," ACP President Jack Ende, MD, wrote in a statement.
Dr. Ende went on to note the group's history in calling for action to address firearm-related injuries and deaths. For instance, he referenced a call-to-action published two years ago in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In the call-to-action, he said ACP and a number of health professional organizations, along with the American Bar Association, provided recommendations designed to decrease firearms-related violence.
Dr. Ende also referenced a June 2016 letter in which ACP urged federal lawmakers "to enact a series of policies to decrease the threat of gun violence" following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
"In light of the rising number of mass shootings, this is a serious public health issue that needs to be addressed immediately by Congress," Dr. Ende concluded.