‘Not a whole lot we can do’: East TN congressman says gun laws won’t stop school shootings
The congressman argued that mental health is the bigger issue in trying to prevent mass shootings.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said in a statement to NBC News that there is not much lawmakers can do about the school shooting in Green Hills.
On March 27, Audrey Hale entered the Covenant School and shot and killed three children and three adults, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Police said Hale was shot and killed by officers minutes after entering the school.
Parents gathered on Tuesday to express their anger and frustration with state lawmakers who said they refuse to pass gun safety laws.
“Why are we as adults not protecting them?” said a person who attended the rally. “Why are legislators not protecting them?”
Rep. Burchett said Washington will not fix the problem of school shootings.
“It’s just not going to happen,” Burchett said. “We’ve got evil in this country and everybody just needs to tone down the rhetoric a little bit cause all that does is gin it up on both sides and then they point the finger and nothing happens. If you think Washington is going to fix this problem you’re wrong. They are the problem.”
When asked if he was concerned why other countries don’t have this problem, he responded by saying that “other countries don’t have our freedom either.”
“There’s not a whole lot you can do,” Burchett said. “There’s a whole lot of evil and meaningless in this world and politicians will come in later with the speeches and all this rah-rah stuff. But there’s not a whole lot we can do. Just very helpless feeling.”
The congressman argued that mental health is the bigger issue in trying to prevent mass shootings.
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