reporter: former wakefield police chief remembering the day after christmas 15 years ago when michael mcdermott gunned down seven co-workers with an ak47 and shotgun. he says the executive order expanding access to mental health records for gun licensing could help. >> michael mcdermottlovy purchased those firearms. there were' mental health issues in the back ground. i didn't know that and i think the chief who issued him that didn't know that. that is huge. >> reporter: after the president's announcement the n.r.a.tweeted expanded bank ground checks wouldn't have stopped recent gunman. president obama argue that had is not the point. >> that is why we're here today. not to debate the last mass shooting but to do something to try to prevent the next one. [applause >> reporter: republican quick to blast the measures. ted cruz promising to reverse them. cruz says his pen has an eraser on it. dan hausle, 7 news. >> ryan: marty walsh in the nation's capital. the mayor aive rooked home a short time ago, tim caputo continues with his message, tim. >> reporter: the mayor landed about an hour ago. he

. >> reporter: >> a former wakefield police chief remembers from michael mcdermott gunned down seven co-workers with an k.-- ak47 and a shotgun. >> if some m.d.has made a determination in the past as to the suitability of this person possessing a firearm i need to know that. i can't have that protected or sealed. >> reporter: mayor walsh obama's announcement seen her with gabby giffords. the mayor says the president's move will help him battle the flood of guns on boston streets. >> these executive orders today is a little piece of it, forcing gun dealer to make sure they have a license and forcing the back grouped check. i don't see what the big problem is and i don't see what the public outrage should be. >> reporter: president obama says he acted because coming won and he urged americans to pressure their political leaders to take even more action. >> we do not have to accept this cornage -- accept this carnage. >> reporter: president obama tried to assure people his measures are in the a plot to take away everybody's guns. he insisted it's possible to upheld the second amendment

one person who, without his leadership and guidance as our champion at blackstone, michael mcdermott, who is right here in the front, and i know that there's -- that we have derrick blake is here from la quinta. we have rod moses and melissa and lorna here from hilton. these are the people who are really making this happen day in and day out and have -- [ applause ] and so a number and a champion. and then once we had a number and a champion, we knew we needed to mobilize. and our kind of theme of mobilizing something like this is to think big. so we wanted to have a big, bold number, but to start small. and not try to overwhelm the thing. start small, meaning let's do some things, meaningful things, that can build momentum, and then move fast. and so with that mantra, you know, we've been able to get this initiative mobilized. and, you know, i would say, the second thing that besides leadership and ambition that has been extremely important for us is the partnership that has developed with the government. people told us in the beginning that, oh, you know, if you try to partner up wi

michael's this morning to read to some of the students. i am sending you a couple of pictures that you can use on the news, if there's time. thanks , pam mcdermott if you're like to submit a facebook fan photo, just post it on our abc-9 facebook page. jenna/tim/chris/fred (fred) your forecast tonight is for a low chance of snow after midnight. tomorrow, temperatures will be falling from a morning high of 22. blustery conditions will continue. the 7- day shows evening snow likely saturday. then, bitterly cold air comes for the weekend. sunday's high will only be 1 above zero, and we're headed for -13 monday morning. temperatures will very gradually warm next week. another chance of snow comes tuesday and thursday. >>> jackpot jubilation. >> this is the machine that the