Texas governor cancels shotgun giveaway days after school shooting

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Monday canceled plans for his reelection campaign to give away a shotgun days after a mass shooting at a high school in the state left 10 people dead.

A spokesperson for Abbott on Monday told Politico the contest is still active but the winner will receive a $250 gift card instead of the shotgun, as previously advertised.

The contest webpage has been changed, with photos featuring Abbot holding a shotgun taken down and an advertisement of a gift card now displayed.

{mosads}

The Texas governor launched the contest weeks prior to the high school mass shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, but the giveaway gained social media attention over the weekend from gun control activists who grilled the governor about the contest.

“To put it bluntly, we find this a disgusting display of disregard of the toll gun violence takes and an absolute failure to respect your constituents in the wake of the #SantaFe shootings,” the Austin chapter of March for Our Lives — the gun control initiative started by students in Parkland, Fla., following their own school shooting — said on Twitter.

.@GregAbbott_TX

We are disgusted by your “Win a Texas-Made Shotgun” raffle, especially in wake of the #SantaFe #SchoolShooting.

Please read attached image for our message.

–#MarchForOurLives #Austin Team#NeverAgain #EnoughIsEnough #SantaFeHighSchool pic.twitter.com/iQjpuGsWXO

— March For Our Lives – Austin (@march4rlivesatx) May 20, 2018

Abbott offered plans of “swift” action following Friday’s school shooting, starting with a Tuesday roundtable to discuss ways to protect students and schools from gun violence.

In an address on Friday, Abbott said, “We need to do more than just pray for the victims and the families. It’s time in Texas that we take action to step up and make sure this tragedy is never repeated ever again in the history of the state of Texas.”