As the country reels from the mass shooting Thursday at a community college in Oregon, families of the Newtown shooting victims are renewing their plea for more gun control laws.

"I'm angry that more hasn't been done," says Newtown resident Miranda Pacchiana. "I think about my friends who are living in my town who lost children, who are re-traumatized every time this happens."

Due to a loophole, nearly 16,000 people were able to buy legal guns around the country despite failing criminal background checks, according to statistics given by lawmakers at the state Capitol Friday.

Both of Connecticut's U.S. senators joined the Newtown families in calling for reforms.

"I don't care how many members of Congress send out tweets saying that they're sorry or they extend their sympathies," says Sen. Chris Murphy. "You aren't sorry. You aren't truly sympathetic -- if you're not willing to act."

The current law allows dealers to sell guns if a background check isn't completed within three days. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is introducing legislation to close that loophole.

"In many states, these records are not as accessible," Blumenthal says. "They're not computerized for whatever reason."

But Republicans in other parts of the country provide stiff resistance to many new gun control laws.

"I keep waiting for someone to tell me what new gun law can we pass that would have prevented this shooting or Sandy Hook or Aurora or Charleston," says former Arkansas governor and current GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.