Brown: I support federal assault weapons ban

BOSTON (AP) -- Sen. Scott Brown says he now supports a federal assault weapons ban.

Throughout his failed re-election campaign last year Brown said he opposed the ban, saying he believed states are the appropriate venue for weapons bans. At the time, the Republican said he supported Massachusetts' assault weapons ban.

On Wednesday, Brown said he was changing his stance on the federal ban in light of the shooting deaths of 26 children and adults at a Connecticut elementary school last week, which he called beyond comprehension.

In a statement, Brown said he had hoped that other states would have followed Massachusetts' assault weapons ban.

He said that since other states haven't, and innocent people are being killed, he now supports a federal ban.

Democratic Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren, who defeated Brown in November, also supports a federal ban.