Savannah Mayor Otis S. Johnson is calling for stricter background checks for gun owners.

The Savannah Morning News reports that during a Monday news conference, he urged Savannah residents to support tougher gun background checks. He was joined at the news conference by mothers of sons who were murdered and by police officers who have dodged bullets.

Johnson is one of more than 550 mayors nationwide who are part of the bi-partisan coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Johnson said the effort seeks to increase incentives for states to send records of people legally barred from buying guns to a federal do-not-sell database. Drug abusers, the mentally ill and domestic violence offenders are among those who would be included.

Tags: Savannah, law, gun, Mayor Otis Johnson