OLYMPIA -- Calling mass shootings like the one in Roseburg, Oregon, a “national scourge,” Gov. Jay Inslee said he would look for ways to reduce gun violence.

Whether that will include proposing tough gun-control laws in the 2016 legislative session, however, remains to be seen.

“I want to look for any possible way to reduce gun violence,” Inslee said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “I don’t have a specific proposal at this point.”

In the past, Inslee has supported bans on military-style semi-automatic rifles, which he and others call assault weapons, and tightening background checks for firearms sold at gun shows. Washington voters have already expanded background checks for many sales outside of retail stores, but gun control proposals have fared poorly in the Legislature.

“We should not be shy because these things may be controversial,” he said.

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