Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Public Service Forum in Las Vegas Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
LAS VEGAS 鈥� Democratic presidential candidates expressed outrage Saturday that mass shootings have become chillingly common nationwide and blamed the National Rifle Association and its congressional allies after a gunman opened fire at a shopping area near the Texas-Mexico border.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just today, it has happened several times this week. It鈥檚 happened here in Las Vegas where some lunatic killed 50 some odd people,鈥� Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said as he and 18 other White House hopefuls were in Nevada to address the nation鈥檚 largest public employees union. 鈥淎ll over the world, people are looking at the United States and wondering what is going on? What is the mental health situation in America, where time after time, after time, after time, we鈥檙e seeing indescribable horror.鈥�
Sanders blasted Republican Senate leadership for being 鈥渕ore concerned about pleasing the NRA than listening to the vast majority of the American people鈥� and said that President Donald Trump has a responsibility to support commonsense gun safety legislation.
At least 20 people were killed amid back-to-school shopping in El Paso. A 21-year-old man was taken into custody, law enforcement officials said.
Shortly after the shooting and before its death toll was widely reported, White House officials said Trump had been briefed while spending the weekend at his New Jersey golf club. He conveyed his initial reaction on Twitter, writing that the shooting was 鈥渢errible鈥� and that he was in close consultation with state officials. He turned to other topics, tweeting a note of encouragement to UFC fighter Colby Covington, a Trump supporter, and retweeting two messages that furthered his argument that African Americans had flourished under his administration.
Later Saturday night, Trump tweeted condolences. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 shooting in El Paso, Texas was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today鈥檚 hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people. Melania and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the great people of Texas.鈥�
The shooting was personal for former Rep. Beto O鈥橰ourke, an El Paso native who represented the city in Congress for six years. He suspended campaigning to fly home and 鈥渂e with my family and be with my hometown.鈥�
Earlier, O鈥橰ourke appeared shaken as he told the union forum he鈥檇 heard early reports that the shooter might have had a military-style weapon, saying the country needs to 鈥渒eep that (expletive) on the battlefield. Do not bring it into our communities.鈥�
O鈥橰ourke said the U.S. may require direct action, urgency and in some cases nonviolent civil disobedience, to make real change.
鈥淚 believe in this country. I believe, at the end of the day, we鈥檙e going to be able to get this done,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 going to be because of those people who force it to get done.鈥�
Former Vice President Joe Biden said he tried to call O鈥橰ourke and told reporters, 鈥淓nough is enough.鈥�
鈥淭his is a sickness,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淭his is beyond anything that we should be tolerating.鈥� He added: 鈥淲e can beat the NRA. We can beat the gun manufacturers.鈥�
A visibly frustrated Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said: 鈥淚 believe that the NRA have long dominated American politics to the point where they have stopped sensible legislation that would have prevented deaths and prevented killings. They have done it time and time again.鈥�
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, noted: 鈥淲e are the only country in the world with more guns than people.鈥�
鈥淚t has not made us safer,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can respect the Second Amendment and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans.鈥�
California Sen. Kamala Harris promised to use an executive action within her first 100 days of taking office to impose gun control. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said, 鈥淭his has got to be a movement, politics or not, we鈥檝e got to make ending this nightmare a movement before it happens to yet another community or another person dies.鈥�
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted: 鈥淔ar too many communities have suffered through tragedies like this already. We must act now to end our country鈥檚 gun violence epidemic.鈥�