Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus played a recording he says came from his city at 11 o'clock one night: gun shots from a high-capacity ammunition magazine.

He's backing efforts by Senate Democrats to tighten gun control restrictions.

Magnus: "I would challenge you - sit next to a grieving mother on a curb as I have on more occasions than I'd like to remember, and you gain a whole new impact on how important it is that we try different and new approaches to address this epidemic of gun violence."

Among Senate Democrats' proposals: a ban on the possession of those high-capacity magazines in California - not just their sale or manufacture, and a ban on semi-automatic rifles that can accept detachable magazines.

Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue says Democrats are exploiting last year's Connecticut school shooting and "punishing everyone for the actions taken by a few."