AUSTIN – Emotional Gov. Greg Abbott was interrupted by an equally emotional Beto O’Rourke as the Republican governor and other government officials wanted to discuss a shooting at a school in Uwalde a day earlier on Wednesday.
O’Rourke, Abbott’s Democratic rival in this year’s gubernatorial race, stepped to the podium at Uvalde High School as Abbott was about to hand over the microphone to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
O’Rourke warned that another massacre would take place. That’s because Texas officials haven’t done much about gun safety, he said.
“You’re not doing anything. … It’s completely predictable, “O’Rourke said.
The former congressman and presidential candidate mentioned an armed massacre in his hometown of El Paso in August 2019, when a far-right gunman who warned in social media posts of an “invasion” of Mexican immigrants drove from North Texas and killed 23 people and wounds 23 others in Wal-Mart.
On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman barricaded himself in a fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uwalde. Abbott said he had only one weapon, the AR-15, which fatally shot 19 children and two teachers. It was the deadliest school shooting in the United States since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.
O’Rourke, whom Abbott warned he would confiscate the Texas machine guns, made a dramatic appearance that lasted just over a minute – and ruffled feathers.
“Sir, you are out of line,” Uwalde Mayor Don McLaughlin shouted at O’Rourke. “I can’t believe you’re a sick son of a bitch who would come to such a deal to make a political question.
Abbott quickly picked up the microphone from Patrick and rebuked O’Rourke, who had left the room at the time as a police officer walked behind him.
“There are family members crying as we talk,” Abbott said. Shouting will not help, the two-term governor said.
Raising his voice, the Abbot added: “Set aside your personal goals, think of someone other than ourselves.”
A moment later, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, said, “Now is not the time to politicize pain and suffering.”
Abbott’s press conference was joined by five fellow Republicans and a Democrat: Patrick, Phelan, US sensors John Cornin and Ted Cruz, San Antonio Republican Tony Gonzalez and Uvalde’s Democrat Tracy King.
Also expected were Colonel Steve McCrow, Texas Public Safety Director, U.S. Education Commissioner Mike Morat, Uwalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, Uwalde School District Police Chief Pete Aredondo and other local officials.
Early Wednesday, Abbott originally planned to hold a press conference in the city center of Willi de Leon, where some locals gathered on Tuesday night.
“To enable grieving families and teachers to receive counseling and support services to begin healing” at the Uwalde Civic Center, Abbott’s office later relocated a nearby school.
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