Father of shooting victim confronts Rubio: Your comments have been ‘pathetically weak’

The father of one of the students killed in the shooting at a Florida high school confronted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) over his statements after the attack, calling his and President Trump’s statements “incredibly weak.”

“When I like you, you know it. When I’m pissed at you, you know it. Your comments this week and those of our president have been pathetically weak,” Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed, said at a CNN town hall Wednesday.

“So you and I are now eye to eye. Because I want to like you, look at me and tell me,” Guttenberg said to Rubio. “Guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in this school this week. And look at me and tell me you accept it and you will work with us to do something about guns.”

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Rubio began replying by saying he would repeat his statements from over the past week, but was interrupted by boos from the crowd.

“I’m saying the problems that we’re facing here today cannot be solved by gun laws alone and I’m going to tell you what we’ve done already and what I hope we’ll do moving forward,” the GOP senator said.

“Were guns the factor in the hunting of our kids,” Guttenberg replied. “It’s the weapon of choice, can you say that.”

“Absolutely,” Rubio said.

Rubio then promised that he would work on legislation to set a minimum age for gun purchases, as well as work on improving gun background checks and banning bump stocks.

CNN held the town hall in response to the deadly mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school last week. Student survivors of the shooting have been demanding action on gun laws in the week since.