South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy said Sunday he’s sorry today’s teenagers have grown up in a time when mass shootings are a regular occurrence, even in places of refuge like churches and schools.
The Republican congressman said on CBS’ “Face The Nation” that he applauds the activism of the students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. Politicians like Gowdy, who take money from the National Rifle Association, are being targeted by the students.
“I’m sorry that you have grown up in a generation that has only known violence, and there’s no sanctuary, there’s no place of refuge, the schools aren’t safe, churches aren’t safe, concerts. I applaud their activism,” Gowdy said when asked what he would say to the students.
Gowdy said guns themselves are only one aspect that goes into a mass shooting, and he said people have to examine the shooter as well.
Gowdy said one possible way to combat gun violence, mass shootings in particular, is a law requiring people to report individuals who are heard contemplating a mass shooting to the police. He’s also OK with banning bump stocks.
“You could impose a duty to disclose. We have it in other categories of law. Could you impose a lawful duty to disclose if you hear that someone is planning to do something?” he said. “And the shooting in Florida, you didn’t need a duty to disclose, people did come forward and put the FBI on notice, bump stocks turn semi-automatic into fully automatic weapons, fully automatic weapons are already illegal. I am fine with doing away with any instrumentality that converts a semi-automatic to a fully automatic.”
