Texas Senator Ted Cruz abruptly walked away from an interview after being questioned about US gun laws.
As the nation continues to mourn Tuesday's horrendous events in Uvalde, Texas, Ted Cruz has voiced what he believes to be his solution to shootings in US schools.
It comes after a gunman entered Robb Elementary School on the morning of May 24, and killed 19 children and two teachers. Authorities have named the shooter as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. They have also confirmed that he acted alone in the heinous massacre.
Cruz has responded to the horrific shooting by tweeting on Wednesday: "Enough is enough. We need to act by hardening school security and hiring armed police officers to keep our kids safe."
In an interview with Fox News, he added: "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," Cruz added, "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."
At a vigil held for the victims on Wednesday evening, Sky News US correspondent Mark Stone questioned Cruz about gun crime across the United States.
In a video of the interview, Cruz tells Stone: "There are 19 sets of parents who are never going to get to kiss their child tonight."
Stone then asks: "Is this the moment to reform gun laws?"
Check out the interview below:"You know, it's easy to go to politics," Cruz responds, before adding: "The proposals from Democrats and the media? Inevitably, when some violent psychopath murders people--"
Stone interrupts, saying: "A 'violent psychopath' who is able to get a weapon so easily. An 18-year-old with two AR-15s."
Cruz then adds: "If you want to stop violent crime - the proposals the Democrats have? None of them would have stopped this."
Stone then asks: "But why does this only happen in your country? I really think that's what many people around the world just... they cannot fathom. Why only in America? Why is this American exceptionalism so awful?"
Seemingly frustrated, Cruz then tells Stone: "You know, I'm sorry you think American exceptionalism is awful. You've got your political agenda. God love you."
Cruz then abruptly walked away from Stone, effectively ending the interview.
"Senator, I just want to understand why you do not think that guns are the problem," Stone says. "It's just an American problem... You can't answer that, can you?"
BBC News reports that Ramos entered the school carrying a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, and high-capacity magazines.
Our thoughts continue to go out to the victims of this tragedy...
