Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was heavily criticized after suggesting—following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas—schools would be safer if there were fewer exits and if more armed officers were stationed in school buildings.
19 children and two teachers died during the shooting and an increased police presence at the school had not deterred the shooter one bit–but that didn't stop Cruz from continuing to espouse conservative talking points about how militarizing more officers could prevent further shootings.
Cruz, speaking on Fox News, also did not appear to comprehend the fact cutting down the number of exits in a school building would pose an even greater safety risk, as well as a significant fire hazard.
You can hear what Cruz said in the video below.
Cruz said:
“One of the things that everyone agreed is don’t have all of these unlocked back doors. Have one door into and out of the school and have ... armed police officers at that door."
"If that had happened, if those federal grants had gone to this school, when that psychopath arrived, the armed police officers could have taken him out."
"And we'd have 19 children and two teachers still alive.”
Cruz went on to accuse Democrats of "empty political posturing," dismissing calls for comprehensive gun control measures.
These remarks angered many who mocked Cruz's suggestions.
19 children and two adults died during the shooting, which took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas early yesterday morning. The mass shooting was the second deadliest school shooting after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
Authorities identified the shooter as an 18-year-old male who was a resident of Uvalde and a student at Uvalde High School. He purchased two semi-automatic rifles through a local gun store last week, just days after his birthday.
The shooting took place just a week after a mass shooting that occurred at a Buffalo, New York supermarket. 10 people died during that attack and three others were injured. Most of the victims were Black.
The shooter subscribed to the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory often touted by Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, which states White European populations and their descendants are being demographically and culturally replaced with non-European peoples.
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