Texas school shooting press conference erupts in fury: 'IT'S ON YOU'
An enraged political rival of Texas's governor has confronted his upcoming opponent at a press conference in the wake of a mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at a primary school in the state.
Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke interrupted the news conference on Wednesday (local time), yelling and aggressively pointing at Republican leaders.
"You are doing nothing!" he shouted.
"Why is this happening in this state? Year after year, city after city?! This is on all of us if we do not do something, and I am gonna do something.
"This is on you."
Mr O'Rourke was incensed after Governor Greg Abbott outlined mental health resources available to those affected by the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.
"This is totally predictable," Mr O'Rourke said, accusing Mr Abbott and other Republican leaders of not doing enough to prevent such shootings.
Mr Abbott has served as governor of Texas since 2015 when he infamously tweeted he was embarrassed that California has more new gun purchases than Texas, and he called on Texans to buy more guns.
During the press conference, Mr Abbott said the shooting, which was the third deadliest school shooting in US history, "could have been worse".
Texan politician ejected from fiery post-shooting meeting
Video from the confrontation shows a furious Mr O'Rourke escorted out of the press conference by police.
People in the audience shouted Mr O'Rourke down while baying media circled him.
"You are out of line," Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin yelled at Mr O'Rourke.
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"I can't believe you're a sick son of a bitch who would come to a deal like this to make a political issue."
"Sit down and don't play this stunt," US Senator Ted Cruz told Mr O'Rourke, whom he narrowly defeated in his 2018 Senate campaign.
At one point Mr O'Rourke was branded an asshole.
Speaking to reporters outside, Mr O'Rourke said: "It is absolutely wrong, it is insane, that we allow an 18-year-old to buy an AR-15. What the hell do we think he was gonna do with that?"
"We owe those parents action... But if we continue to accept this, then it is on us, it's not just the governor's fault, it is on us."
Biden calls for gun reform
It came after Democratic Senator Chris Murphy delivered a passionate plea on the floor of the Senate in the wake of the shooting, calling for action.
"Our kids are living in fear every single time they set foot in a classroom because they think they're going to be next. What are we doing?" he asked.
"This only happens in this country, and nowhere else."
President Joe Biden said he was "sick and tired" of learning of new mass shootings in the US, calling for gun reform.
"We have to act. And don't tell me we can't have an impact on this carnage," he said.
"Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God’s name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with and stand up to the lobbyists?"
with Reuters
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