Knee-jerk, sure, if they are really trying to achieve a safer society.
But what if this just another useful event for them to pass more laws to further their goal of disarming the general population?
this useful event=Uvalde, Tulsa, (fill in the blank), ...
That is exactly what is happening.
Ever notice how the "gun control" issue stays relatively back-burner until just after some widely publicized (some might say over publicized) event?
There's a reason for that. So-called "gun control" proposals are so stupid that any reasoned consideration of them would quickly reveal how laughably ineffective they are. There are thousands of "gun control" laws on the books across the US at the national, state, and local levels. Thousands. Obviously they do not work, yet magically somehow just one more will work? This is "the" solution? The suggestion would be hilarious if they weren't actually serious.
"Gun control" proposals are intentionally held back by their advocates until just after some media-frenzied event. Then, when emotions are high these proposals are trotted out again. "We've got to do something!" "How could you be against my XXXXX gun control measure? Do you want another XYZ?!"
These people are the worst kind of manipulators. They know their proposals are terrible on many levels. They wait and try to take advantage of a tragic situation to further their power agenda. "Gun control" advocates are opportunistic scum.