“We’re not gonna fix it, criminals are gonna be criminals,” said U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) in the wake of a mass shooting in his home state, per video shared to Twitter and other reports.
A 28-year-old woman entered The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., Monday and fatally shot three adults and three children. She was armed with two assault style rifles and a handgun, according to authorities.
Burchett was previously mayor of Knox County and took office in the House in 2019. He also served in the state legislature.
Last September, he sent letters to credit card companies regarding a category code for gun retailers.
“In his letters, Rep. Burchett expressed concern these new policies would violate consumers’ privacy and could potentially lead to the creation of an unconstitutional firearm owner registry,” according to a press release from the congressman. “He also requested the companies’ reasoning for establishing the new merchant category code.”
Following the shooting this week, Burchett also posted his condolences on Twitter.
“No one should have to go through that kind of horrific event or lose a loved one like that,” he said, and lauded authorities for stopping the attack. Shooter Audrey Hale was shot dead at the scene by police.
According to The Guardian, Hale legally stockpiled guns ahead of the massacre in Nashville. An ABC News analysis published this week found that guns used to carry out 10 deadliest mass shootings were obtained legally, and research on mass shootings published last year by the National Institute of Justice supports safe storage of guns.
“Yet, the researchers noted that there are no federal laws requiring safe storage of guns, and no federal standards for firearm locks,” according to the institute, which recorded an upward trend in mass shooting events. “The data also support ‘red flag’ laws permitting law enforcement or family members to petition a state court to order temporary removal of a firearm from a person who presents a danger.”
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