Tennessee Republican responds to school shooting: ‘We’re not gonna fix it’

Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett (R) said there’s no way to “fix” gun violence, after a shooter killed three children and three adults at an elementary school in his home state on Monday.

“It’s a horrible, horrible situation,” Burchett told reporters. “And we’re not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals.” 

“My daddy fought in the Second World War, fought in the Pacific, fought the Japanese, and he told me … ‘Buddy, if somebody wants to take you out and doesn’t mind losing their life, there’s not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it,’” he added.

Burchett also said he doesn’t see “any real role” for Congress to play in reducing gun violence, other than to “mess things up.”

“I don’t think you’re gonna stop the gun violence,” the congressman said. “I think you gotta change people’s hearts.”

When asked about how to protect children, like his own daughter, while in school, Burchett said he has opted to homeschool his daughter. 

A 28-year-old former student of the Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, shot and killed three 9-year-old students and three staff members on Monday, before being killed by police.

There have been 13 school shootings thus far in 2023, which have resulted in the deaths of six students and four adults, according to Education Week.