Donald Trump says gun control is 'not going to help' after Texas shooter shoots dead 26 people
Republican leader Paul Ryan notes existing laws were ignored
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President Donald Trump has argued new gun laws would not have halted America’s latest mass shooting, saying such measures are “not going to help”.
Devin Kelley strode into a small church in Texas this weekend and mowed down dozens of parishioners.
The President argued that tougher vetting would have led to more bloodshed, echoing a common argument by gun-rights supporters that arming citizens can halt mass shootings. A bystander opened fire on Kelley after he exited the church where he conducted his massacre.
After first saying even with more restrictions “there would have been no difference three days ago”, Mr Trump added that “you might not have had that very brave person who happened to have a gun or a rifle in his truck go out and shoot him, and hit him and neutralize him”.
“If he didn’t have a gun, instead of having 26 dead, you would have had hundreds more dead”, Mr Trump told reporters in Seoul. So that's the way I feel about it. Not going to help”.
The latest bloodletting has prompted calls for tighter restrictions on buying guns - a goal complicated by the fact that Kelley was legally barred from buying guns but was able to do so because the Air Force did not report his name to a database that would have prevented purchases.
Asked by interviewer Laura Ingraham “what should be done so this never happens again”, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said it was “frustrating” that the alleged shooter “wasn’t supposed to get a gun in the first place”.
“We have laws on the books that prevent people like that from getting guns. That's what's frustrating about this - the laws are there on the books, but you’ve got to execute the law. You’ve got to follow through the law. You’ve got to apply the law”, the Wisconsin Republican said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments