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In the wake of Friday’s fatal shooting incident in the city, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono visited Asbury Park to denounce Governor Christie’s veto of several gun-control measures.

Standing in an empty lot on Washington Avenue, the same street 20-year-old Tyrell Howard was fatally shot Friday night, Buono called Christie’s gun-control measures a “hollow” attempt at gun reform.

“What the people want, overwhelmingly, is common sense gun reform,” she said.

Among the bills the governor vetoed were a requirement for a renewal of firearm licenses every four years and a ban on any gun that will house a .50-caliber shell, which Buono called “utterly irresponsible.” This issue was what the Democratic candidate focused on.

Buono held up two .50-caliber rifle rounds [above] she assured attendees were not “live” so that they would have an idea of how large the projectiles are. The bullets are military-grade, designed to penetrate structures, pierce helicopters and airplanes and tear through any bullet-proof vest, she said.

“Pure and simple, these are killing machines,” she said. “They are considered one of the most destructive weapons legally available to citizens of the United States.” Any 18-year-old with a firearms license has the ability to purchase such a rifle under the current state gun ownership laws.

Critics of the .50-caliber weapons ban argue there has not yet been any incident in New Jersey where a .50-caliber weapon was used.

For Buono, the argument is a non-sequitur. To wait for an incident to happen in New Jersey before a measure to control the highly dangerous weapons is “put into place is “the height of absurdity,” she said.

The state Senator-turned-gubernatorial candidate’s gun reform plan includes limiting the capacity a single magazine of ammunition can hold from 15 to 10 bullets, making universal background checks a requirement and limiting the sale of ammunition to face-to-face transactions, according to her website. This would would make internet, mail order and phone sales of ammunition illegal in the state.

Nakeisha Vanterpool [above, at right], 22, and her mother Leslie Vanterpool [above, at left] were present at the press conference to support Buono and her call for more serious gun-control measures in the state.

The 22-year-old New York native was one of the victims of a Sept. 25, 2010 shooting at Seton Hall University. She was shot twice, once in the arm and once in the jaw. Her roomate, 19-year-old Jessica Moore, was shot and killed in the incident.

“It is important to me that guns are taken off the streets and out of the hands of people that want to kill other people,” she said, “and if you can start in New Jersey, New York is right next door.”

Buono accused Christie of backtracking on the .50-caliber rifle ban, which he proposed himself months prior, because it would upset his Republican base, she said.

“The reason for the .50-caliber veto is it criminalizes people who own them already,” Buono said, adding the governor could have made a special condition to excuse current owners while signing the measure into law but did not.

“Governor ‘straight talk’ will tell it like it is until it goes against his base,” she said.

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