Former Congressman Beto O鈥橰ourke interrupted Gov. Greg Abbott鈥檚 news conference in Uvalde on Wednesday, blaming the governor for the .
O鈥橰ourke, who is running against Abbott for governor, approached the stage and told Abbott: 鈥淭his is on you.鈥�
鈥淵ou said this was not predictable? This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything,鈥� he said, blaming Abbott鈥檚 policies for the shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 children and two adults dead Tuesday morning.
Last year, Abbott signed into law legislation that allows most Texans to buy a handgun without a permit.
O鈥橰ourke was escorted out of the auditorium by law enforcement agents. One of the officials on stage was heard calling O鈥橰ourke an 鈥渁sshole鈥� and 鈥渟ick son of a bitch.鈥�
The other officials at the news conference included 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.
Abbott's news conference comes hours after he attended a fundraiser last night in Walker County, his campaign spokesperson confirmed in an email to The Texas Newsroom.
Abbott responded to O鈥橰ourke by saying the state needs to focus on healing.
鈥淲e need all Texans to, in this one moment in time, put aside all personal agendas,鈥� Abbott said.
Patrick agreed.
鈥淭his is not a partisan issue. This is not a political issue,鈥� the lieutenant governor said. 鈥淭his is an unimaginable moment that will impact the lives of those who lost their children and those who survived.鈥�
O鈥橰ourke talked to reporters outside Uvalde High School, where the press conference was taking place.
He said there are solutions the governor has ignored, like safe-storage gun laws and banning the sales of AR-15-style rifles.
鈥淭hose are 鈥� solutions that have been brought up by the people of Texas, each one of those has broad bipartisan support,鈥� O鈥橰ourke said. 鈥淩ight now we could get that done if we had a governor who cared more about the people of Texas than he does his own political career or his fealty to the NRA.鈥�
The National Rifle Association is holding its annual conference in Houston this weekend. Abbott is scheduled to make an appearance.
O鈥橰ourke called out Abbott for talking about mental health in the press conference, when 鈥渋t is insane that we allow an 18-year-old to go in and buy an AR-15.鈥�
The suspect in the shooting is an 18-year-old male. He was killed by law enforcement.
According to law enforcement officials, the suspect bought two semi-automatic rifles in March at a local sporting goods store.
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