Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke floored a heckler at a town hall. The troublemaker laughed even as he discussed the Uvalde school massacre. The Democratic candidate was intensely discussing the massacre and the easy access to AR-style rifles that Texans have. An AR-15 was used to massacre 19 students and two teachers at the Texan school.
The gun was legally purchased by the lone gunman on his 18th birthday. Beto O’Rourke was explaining that the rifle was intended to penetrate the helmet of an enemy soldier at 500 feet and kill them. He was enacting the moment when a heckler cackled.
Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic nominee against sitting Republican Governor Greg Abbott initially ignored the heckler. But the heckler noisily kept up his tirade and said the shooter had used the gun to fire at kids and not a soldier.
O’Rourke suddenly turned at the heckler and said that he did not find it funny though it may seem funny to the heckler. He interjected with a strong swear word. Videos of the exchange went viral on social media and Beto O’Rourke appears to have come off the better from the intense exchange.
Beto O’Rourke Had Earlier Attacked Gov. Abbott At A Meeting Where He Declared Tougher Gun Laws Did Not Prevent Mass Shootings
O’Rourke was attending a campaign meeting in Mineral Wells near the Fort Worth-Dallas area. His campaign team has not returned a request for comments.
Beto O’Rourke later tweeted and said that he considers the issue intensely serious and wants justice for the Uvalde victims and their families. He has been strongly for stronger gun control measures right from day one of his campaigns. His pitch intensified after the Uvalde massacre and he had interrupted a news conference by Governor Abbott to accuse him of doing nothing and said that it was time he acted upon it before the next shooting happens.
Gov. Abbott had minutes earlier at the meeting declared that tougher laws were not the solution to prevent more mass shootings.
