© APRep. Pete King (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), a member of both the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, wants retailers to tell police about people who buy innocuous items that could be used to make a bomb.
This follows reports that the Boston Marathon bomber used pressure cookers packed with nails and ball bearings to kill three people and maim dozens of others at the finish line on Monday.
"Obviously there's always certain ways that security can be stepped up at an event," King told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.
"But the fact is that if someone is a terrorist, that they can construct a bomb and put it together. If they can carry it that far, chances are they're going to make it to the event. That's why the intelligence is so important, to be aggressive, to be out front, and why it's important (for) people, if they see something, say something.
"For instance, merchants, if they're selling any components that can be used for a bomb, everywhere from ball bearings to beauty products, they can all be used to make bombs. They should notify the police."