“Gov. Abbott, I’ve to mention one thing,” O’Rourke — a former congressman who represented El Paso, Texas, and is a former Senate and presidential candidate — stated as he approached the level in Uvalde, Texas.
“The time to forestall the following taking pictures is at this time and you’re doing not anything,” O’Rourke informed Abbott. The 2 will face off in Texas’ gubernatorial race in November.
“You stated this isn’t predictable. That is utterly predictable,” he stated of Tuesday’s taking pictures at an area fundamental college the place 21 other people — together with 19 kids — died and 17 have been injured.
That is some distance from the primary time O’Rourke has spoken out on gun violence. The previous congressman used his platform throughout the 2020 Democratic presidential number one to suggest for stricter gun keep watch over measures, together with a compulsory attack weapon buyback program. His center of attention at the factor used to be sharpened via an August 2019 racist bloodbath at a Walmart retailer in El Paso.
At a Democratic debate the next month, he used to be unapologetic concerning the stance, which drew swift backlash from Republicans and would have long gone additional than many of the proposals being mentioned via his rival number one applicants.
“Hell sure, we are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” O’Rourke stated to applause within the debate corridor. “We are not going to permit it for use in opposition to our fellow American citizens anymore.”
His declaration then, neatly earlier than he made up our minds on a gubernatorial run this yr, arrange a stark distinction with Abbott, who has steadily touted any transfer to loosen restrictions on get right of entry to to and ownership of weapons. Abbott is scheduled to talk on the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation’s annual assembly in Houston this week.
O’Rourke addressed Abbott without delay as he left the room on Wednesday: “That is on you, till you select to do one thing other.”
“This will likely proceed to occur. Any individual must get up for the kids of this state or they’ll proceed to be killed, identical to they have been killed in Uvalde the previous day,” he added.
At Wednesday’s press convention, Abbott argued that harder gun regulations don’t seem to be a “actual answer.”
“Individuals who suppose perhaps we will be able to put into effect tricky gun regulations and we will be able to remedy it — Chicago, New York and LA disprove that thesis. Chicago teaches you that what you’re speaking about is not an actual answer,” Abbott stated.
Abbott additionally stated there are proceeding discussions about cope with other people with psychological well being demanding situations within the state, in addition to tactics to stay faculties protected.
Disagreement with officers
Previous to O’Rourke’s go out, Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick informed the previous congressman, “You are out of line and a humiliation.”
“Take a seat down,” Sen. Ted Cruz, O’Rourke’s opponent within the 2018 Senate race, stated, shaking his head.
Some other legitimate onstage, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, shouted profanities at O’Rourke and gave the impression to direct government within the room to take away the previous congressman from the auditorium.
O’Rourke used to be then led away via officials.
“(Abbott) stated he used to be going to do one thing. He did not anything. In reality, the one factor he did used to be assist you elevate a gun in public,” O’Rourke informed newshounds after he exited the click convention.
The previous congressman stated the Texas governor’s “handiest hobby is the gun foyer.”
He identified to newshounds that Abbott is recently scheduled to talk on the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation conference this Friday in Houston, “simply days after those youngsters have been slaughtered proper right here in Uvalde, once they have been slaughtered at Santa Fe Top College, at Sutherland Springs, In Midland-Odessa, in El Paso, Texas.”
“5 of the worst mass webhosting in US historical past, proper right here on this state within the closing 5 years. He used to be governor for each and every unmarried one among them,” O’Rourke endured.
Lower than an hour earlier than O’Rourke interrupted the click convention, he despatched an e-mail to his supporters the place he stated the Uvalde taking pictures is a “direct outcome” of “possible choices made via Greg Abbott.”
“Those massacres don’t seem to be herbal failures, acts of God, or random. They’re utterly predictable, direct penalties of the selections made via Greg Abbott and the vast majority of the ones within the Texas legislature,” he wrote.
This tale has been up to date with further main points from the development.
CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Amanda Musa, Ashley Killough and Brian Rokus contributed to this record.
