Mayor Richard Daley expressed his condolences to families who lost loved ones and to those seriously wounded in the Northern Illinois University shootings, asserting Friday that the incident provides the latest evidence gun control legislation is needed.

"We have a presidential election," Daley said. "People say they lose elections because they stand up to the gun manufacturers. Lose an election? That’s nothing. To lose a child, to lose a brother or sister is more serious, and I hope that all of our national leaders would reflect upon that..."

Daley, who annually pushes for gun control legislation in Springfield, said that "there are just too many guns in society---not just this incident, every day...I don’t care what presidential candidate, whether Democrats or Republicans---we cannot hide from this issue. We must be able to debate this honestly and openly."

(Article continues below)

Daley said he believes America "is getting immune" to the issue of gun violence.

"It doesn’t disturb us anymore. I think there’s something wrong with our conscience. There is something wrong with our leadership. I am not asking the candidates to commit political suicide. I am asking the candidates to be real leaders."