Photo of Amy Schumer speaking at press conference about gun control, by Andrew Burton/Getty
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Amy Schumer appeared alongside Sen. Chuck Schumer at a press conference on Monday, making an emotional plea for "better, more sensible gun control laws," beginning with stronger background checks.

"These shootings have got to stop," the comedian said, joining the senator, who is her second cousin once removed. They announced a bill that would incentivize states that submit records on felons, the mentally ill and offenders of domestic abuse to the federal background check system, while penalizing states that do not.

The press conference marked Amy Schumer's first public comments since July 23, when a 59-year-old with a decades-long history of mental illness opened fire at a Lafayette theater during a screening of the actress' new movie Trainwreck, claiming two lives and injuring nine others before killing himself.

"These are not extreme ideas," Amy Schumer said. "No one wants to live in a country where a felon, the mentally ill or other dangerous people can get their hands on a gun with such ease."

She went on to say Sen. Schumer's legislative push "deserves unanimous support" and that it makes sense "because it seeks to address the 'how'" question that always follows mass shootings (How did the shooter get the gun?). "These are my first public comments on the issue of gun violence," she said. "But I can promise you they will not be my last."