'I don't know why the U.S. can't do the same,' NFL player says of Canada's gun laws after visit to Vancouver

Following a visit north of the border, an American NFL player is questioning why his home country doesn't have similar gun laws.

His comments came after a visit to Vancouver, and following yet another school shooting in the U.S.

Tyler Deron Lockett, a wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks, vented his frustrations on social media Wednesday.

"I went to Vancouver Canada this past weekend!" he wrote.

"And from what I know it's illegal to carry weapons there. (I don't know) why the U.S. can't do the same."

The 29-year-old is one of several people in the professional sports community to speak out about American gun legislation following a school shooting in Texas that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers. Seventeen other people were injured in the May 24 attack, and the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos also died. His grandmother was severely wounded when she was shot before Ramos went to the school.

Just an hour after Lockett posted on Twitter about his experience in Vancouver, he was back on the platform addressing another U.S. shooting.

"Sending prayers to all the victims and their families from the shooting in Tulsa," he wrote.

Four people were killed Wednesday in that incident, as well as the shooter.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Thursday to advance legislation that will, if approved, raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic centrefire rifle to 21, from 18.

The bill would also make it a federal offence to import, manufacture or possess large-capacity magazines, and would result in the creation of a buy-back program.

The legislation is called the Protecting Our Kids Act, and was quickly added to the docket following the Texas school shooting.

In Canada this week, legislation tabled Monday includes what's being called colloquially by some a "handgun ban," though it does not ban the weapons outright.

The legislation introduced by the Liberals allows owners who already have them to keep them, but aims to cap the number of handguns in the country, among other items.

Also part of Bill C-21 is a new "red flag" law that would allow courts to require people considered a danger to themselves or others to surrender their guns to police. 

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press