Gov. Ned Lamont and Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy held a gun violence prevention rally in Hartford Monday in response to the mass shootings in Ohio and Texas over the weekend.

Anti-gun violence groups joined the officials on the north steps of the state Capitol.

"Let's have a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines," said Blumenthal. "Take guns out of the hands of people who are dangerous."

State officials at the rally said even though Connecticut has strong laws against guns already, they are looking for stronger laws nationally.

"We are leading and we need Washington to follow," said Lamont.

Cindy McDonald of Fairfield-based Connecticut Against Gun Violence says in the past 217 days, there have been 251 shootings in the U.S. She also says over 100 people in the U.S. die every day from gun violence.

The president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League tells News 12, "No law will stop a determined or crazy individual from committing a violent crime."

Attorney General William Tong criticized President Donald Trump during the rally, and inferred that the shootings are the product of hate and cruelty.