Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O’Rourke confronted Governor Greg Abbott at a press conference in Uvalde High School on Wednesday (May 25).
O’Rourke accused the governor of inaction on gun laws in wake of the elementary school shooting the day prior.
Tuesday's mass shooting in Robb Elementary school left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Per Politico, Abbott - surrounded by law enforcement officers and Republican lawmakers - was delivering a conference when he said that mental health was the root of the deadly massacre. In footage from the event, O'Rourke can be seen approaching the stage.
Watch the moment below:"Governor Abbott, I have to say something," O’Rourke, who is challenging Abbott in November's midterm elections for the Democratic nomination said. "The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing."
O'Rourke added that the shooting was "totally predictable".
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin was standing behind the Governor and started to shout at O'Rourke: "I can’t believe you’re a sick son of a b***h that would come to a deal like this to make a political issue."
When O’Rourke yelled toward the stage: "It’s on you,” McLaughlin responded: “It’s on a**holes like you. Why don’t you get out of here?"
After O'Rourke was escorted out by law enforcement security, Abbott didn't address the incident directly but said the priority should be on the "healing" of victims, according to NBC News.
"Every Texan, every American has a responsibility where we need to focus not on ourselves and our agendas, but we need to focus on the healing and hope that we can provide those who have suffered unconscionable damage to their lives and loss of life," Abbott said.
"We need all Texans [at] this moment in time to decide to personal agendas, think of somebody other than ourselves, think of somebody who has been hurt and help somebody who has been hurt," he continued.
After being escorted outside, O'Rourke told reporters: "These kids died because the governor of the state of Texas, the most powerful man in the state, chose to do nothing."
"After every one of these, he holds a press conference just like this – and I wish to hell when he came to El Paso that someone would have stood up and held him to account and confronted him and shocked the conscience of this state into doing something," he added.
O'Rourke continued: "Because if we do nothing, we will continue to see this. Year after year, school after school, kid after kid. This is on all of us, every single one of us to do something."
Our thoughts continue to go out to everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy...