PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island lawmaker has deleted a tweet calling a school shooting survivor a "dummy" for her response to the shooting that killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville.
FULL COVERAGE: Parkland school shooting
Republican state Rep. Mike Chippendale was responding Monday to Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, shooting who has become a gun control activist.
Gonzalez cited reports that the shooter's gun was taken away by an unarmed man as evidence that teachers do not need guns to protect students.
(3/4) The local police say a man at the scene wrestled his gun away - looks like you don’t need to arm a teacher (or a resource officer) to stop a shooting. There goes the sales pitch for @SmithWessonCorp 🤷♀️
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) April 22, 2018
Chippendale said the ensuing manhunt might have been avoided if the man did have a gun and "the entire region wouldn't be on lockdown...dummy."
Chippendale is co-chairman of Republican Allan Fung's gubernatorial campaign. A campaign spokesman called the tweet disappointing.
Chippendale later said he was sorry for calling a school shooting survivor a "dummy" but said Tuesday he won't apologize for "zealously defending" the Second Amendment.
We continue to commend @Emma4Change for her advocacy in the face of terrible tragedy. Emma is a movement-driving organizer who rose up as a leader after her peers were brutally gunned down at MSD. We are extremely disappointed by Rep. Chippendale’s senseless attack on Emma. https://t.co/3UaSztOmLz
— RICAGV (@RICAGV1) April 23, 2018