WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — The police chief in a Connecticut city has halted permits for gun shows, saying he's concerned any firearms purchased there might one day be used in a mass shooting.

The Republican-American reports (http://bit.ly/Z15YgC ) that Waterbury Police Superintendent Michael Gugliotti imposed a moratorium the day after the Dec. 14 killings of 20 children and six educators at a grade school not far away in Newtown.

He says he's concerned a gun used in a future mass shooting could be traced to a purchase made at a show in Waterbury.

Westchester Collectors Inc. had planned a firearm and knife show for Jan. 12 and 13. Show organizer Newman B. Chittenden says canceling the gun show will not improve security.

He says that vendors will turn away people who have mental health problems and that they use common sense when evaluating whether to sell.

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Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com