SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – About 150 people showed up for a town hall following the recent mass shootings, and in an anonymous poll, most of them said they favor a ban on assault-style weapons.

Chris Obrecht and several others say they have a problem with the term “assault weapons.”

“The assault weapon definition, they’ve been unable to figure it out,” he said.

Eva Perez says there’s been too much time spent on trying to define assault weapons.

” I don’t like to get mired down in the definition of what an assault weapon is. I only care about the number of people who can die in less than 30 seconds. That’s what I care about,” she said as many in the crowd applauded.

The Dayton, Ohio shooter killed 9 people and wounded more than two dozen other people in 32 seconds before he was gunned down.

The town hall sponsored by San Antonio City Councilman Manny PelaezĀ  and moderated by Gilbert Garcia with the Express News at Phil Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center included a panel of experts on the media, faith and mental health.

“Largely across our country, for most people it’s easier to obtain a gun than it is to get full, comprehensive, effective mental health care,” said Terri Mabrito with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

All three panelists agreed that hate and evil are at the root of mass shootings, and social media plays a role. Rabbi Mara Nathan says many people use social media as a weapon.

“People on the right, but also on the left, speak with so much hate and vitriol about those with whom they disagree,” said Nathan.

Bill Israel, PhD agrees. He says political leaders fan the flames.

“The more you polarize, the more dramatic the differences become, the more dangerous they become until they explode, and the people who will explode are the people at the margins,” he said.

Rabbi Nathan says the media help spread the message of hate by talking about manifestos and messages left behind by the shooters. While there’s a need to understand the motivation to help prevent future mass shootings, Nathan said there’s too much emphasis on the shooter, instead of those who are affected by the tragedy.

“The more we report on those manifestos, the more we share that hate, which is basically spreading it,” she said.

Manny Pelaez at Town Hall on mass shootings/KTSA Photo-Elizabeth Ruiz

Councilman Pelaez is planning two more town halls concerning mass shootings which will focus on public readiness and prevention strategies, and steps that the public and governing bodies can take to reduce the risks of gun violence.

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