The terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left more than 49 people dead and scores of others wounded has evoked a lot of emotion and debate in the United States about how government can effectively reduce the amount of gun violence in schools and places of worship.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., helped to spark the discussion when, in the immediate wake of the attack, she wrote to her 3.5 million Twitter followers, “What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?”