In the wake of the deadly shooting at a Christian school in Nashville, Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said he does not think there is a role for Congress to tackle the nation’s gun violence problem but that revival is needed and people’s hearts need to be changed.
He made the comments after a 28-year-old shooter killed three children and three adults at the Covenant School on Monday — the perpetrator was fatally shot by law enforcement at the scene.
“We’re not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals,” Burchett said. He also said there is a mental health problem in the U.S. that needs to be tackled.
“I don’t see any real role that we could do other than mess things up honestly,” he said. Burchett, who noted that he is a Christian, said a revival is needed — he said that he believes ministers and “communities of faith” must “come together” and preach from the Bible about love.
During an interview with CBS News, the congressman said the core problem is evil and that some would even say demonic possession. He also said there is a “mental health crisis” in the U.S. “You’re not gonna stop evil,” he said. “Evil people are gonna do evil things.” Burchett suggested that having school security guards could help deal with the issue.
Burchett has served in the House since 2019.
GOP Sen. Rick Scott has floated the idea of an “automatic death penalty” for school shooters.
“We need to consider an automatic death penalty for school shooters. Life in prison is not enough for the deranged monsters who go into our schools to kill innocent kids & educators. Pray for all facing the unimaginable in Nashville. This is horrible & must stop,” Scott tweeted.
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