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Former Democratic congressman and Texas gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke barged into a press conference where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the Uvalde shooting, after a young gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school.
As Governor Abbott was about to give the floor to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, candidate O’Rourke loudly interrupted the press conference and had to be escorted out of the auditorium by police.
Political gain for O’Rourke?
“This is on you,” shouted O’Rourke. Lieutenant Governor Patrick told the Democrat that his intervention was “out of line” and asked him to leave the auditorium.
Standing behind the lieutenant governor was Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who berated the former congressman for trying to make political capital out of a tragedy of such magnitude.
Eventually, law enforcement officers surrounded O’Rourke and escorted him out.
Later, CBS News reporter Janet Shamlian, who was present during the press conference, said in a report that the O’Rourke break-in was “clearly planned” by the former Democratic congressman’s campaign.
Before being interrupted, Abbott had just thanked the police officers who intervened in the massacre and prevented the killer from causing even more damage. The governor said one of the officers who went to the school lost his daughter in the attack.
