In Texas — a state known for its obsession with guns — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O'Rourke has been campaigning on moderate gun control, stressing that while he isn't anti-2nd Amendment, there is no reason why Texans should have easy access to semiautomatic weapons like the one used in the Uvalde massacre. The former congressman laid out his arguments for stricter control of semiautomatic weapons at a townhall event in Mineral Wells, Texas on Wednesday night, August 10. And when he was interrupted by a laughing heckler, he shut the man down in a hurry.
On May 24, 19 students and two teachers were fatally shot during by a gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas west of San Antonio — and O'Rourke told the crowd that they were "shot to death with a weapon originally designed for use in combat" that was "legally purchased by an 18-year-old." Texas' gun laws, O'Rourke noted, allowed the shooter to easily purchase an AR-15-style "weapon that was originally designed for use on the battlefields in Vietnam to penetrate an enemy soldier's helmet at 500 feet and knock him down dead."
