BRIDGETON, Mo. (KMOX)- Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) says it’s premature to call for new laws on guns and ammo in the wake of Friday’s school shooting rampage in Connecticut.

“I don’t think the weapon is likely to be the problem here, nearly as much as, how do you identify people with these problems in a society and try to intervene before they do something that tragically impacts their lives and the lives of others?” Blunt said Saturday during a visit to Bridgeton.

Blunt said he’s hopeful the situation will generate new discussion about how mental illness is treated in America.