Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke disrupted Gov. Greg Abbott’s press conference in Uvalde on Wednesday, accusing him of being responsible for the elementary school massacre.
O’Rourke, who is running Texas governor against Abbott, stormed the platform and told Abbott, “This is on you.”
“Didn’t you say that wasn’t predictable?” “This is completely inevitable when you choose not to do anything,” he added, criticizing Abbott’s policy for the Robb Elementary School tragedy, which killed 19 children and two adults on Tuesday morning.
Abbott enacted legislation last year that permits most Texans to purchase a handgun without a license.
Law police officers led O’Rourke out of the theater. On stage, one of the officials was heard calling O’Rourke a “as%&#@e” and a “sick son of a b&%ch.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dan Phelan, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, Department of Public Safety Steve McCraw, and Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell were also present at the press briefing.
Beto O'Rourke Confronts Texas Governor Greg Abbott at Press Conference on Uvalde School Shooting#BREAKING: BETO O'ROURKE CONFRONTS ABBOTT AT PRESSER | Beto O'Rourke just told Texas Governor Greg Abbott "you're doing nothing" at a press conference on the Uvalde school shooting. Officials heard responding, "you're out of line and an embarrassment."
Posted by WFLA J.B. Biunno on Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Abbott’s press briefing comes only hours after he attended a fundraiser in Walker County last night.
In response to O’Rourke, Abbott stated that the state must prioritize healing. Abbott remarked, they need all Texans to set aside any personal ambitions at this one point in time. Patrick concurred.
The lieutenant governor stated that this is a nonpartisan problem. This is not a political matter. This is an unthinkable event that will have an influence on the lives of those who have lost their kids as well as those who have survived.
O’Rourke spoke with reporters outside the news conference at Uvalde High School. He claims the governor has overlooked measures such as safe-storage gun legislation and a prohibition on the sale of AR-15-style firearms.
O’Rourke added, those are ideas proposed by the people of Texas, and each one has wide bipartisan support. At the moment, we could do that if we had a governor who cared more about the people of Texas than he does about his personal political career or his allegiance to the NRA.
This weekend is the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Houston. Abbott has been invited to appear.
O’Rourke chastised Abbott for speaking about mental health during the news conference while “allowing an 18-year-old to walk in and buy an AR-15.”
A male suspect in the shooting is 18 years old. He was assassinated by law enforcement.
According to police, the suspect purchased two semi-automatic firearms in March from a nearby sporting goods store.
