Dana Loesch, the spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, says a shooter who killed 17 people last week at a school in Florida should not have been able to get a firearm.
“I don’t believe this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm,” Loesch said Wednesday night, calling the suspect “nuts.”
“We have to start … following up on red flags,” she later added.
Loesch, as well as Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, Florida lawmakers, Rep. Ted Deutch, Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, as well as, students, parents and community members, participated in the CNN town hall “Stand Up: The Students of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action” in Sunrise, Florida, on Wednesday night.
The town hall comes a week after 17 people were shot to death at a school in Parkland, Florida, which has prompted calls on lawmakers for gun reform — notably from students around the country.
The NRA has given significant donations to various political candidates, including Rubio, who received two donations of $4,950 during the 2016 election from the NRA’s political arm, The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund.
President Donald Trump declined CNN’s invitation to the town hall on Wednesday night, but sat down with individuals who were personally affected by school shootings at a listening session at the White House earlier Wednesday. There, he suggested providing firearms to swaths of teachers to prevent future school shootings.