Rubio: 'Broken' System Caused Shooting, Not Lack of Gun Ban

Following the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, parents are calling for change and are demanding that political leaders take action.Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he would be “angry” if he were a student or parent who had been personally experienced a school shooting. He sat down with NBC 6 anchor Sheli Muñiz to discuss what change will come from Wednesday’s shooting.When Muñiz asked how the gunman was able to obtain a weapon, Rubio said, “The system is broken.””When that background check was run, it didn’t say he had been expelled from school, it didn’t say that there had been 30 police calls, that he had these social media posts – none of that,” he said.Rubio argues that there needs to be a better vetting process.On the other side, Florida state Sen. Gary Farmer, a Democrat, called for a ban on assault weapons at a gun reform rally Saturday. The ban was in place from 1994 until 2004.When asked about the assault weapon ban, Rubio contested that it would be ineffective.”They are already out there. People can buy them. They’re grandfathered in under the law,” he said.On Friday, an online activist group placed three mobile billboards outside of his office, inspired by the movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”The buses read “Slaughtered in school,” “And still no gun control” and “How come, Marco Rubio?”“I say any of the laws that they would have wanted passed would not have prevented this attack,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we should not pass any laws. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pass these laws. There may be a different reason why we need these laws.”The Florida senator also said that the anti-assault weapons activists campaign ignores attempted action, like sponsoring bills for a mental health database and school safety measures. Rubio also denied reports he took millions from the National Rifle Association.“It’s false. They haven’t given me $3.3 million. They may have spent $3.3 million in campaigns I was involved in, but that could very well have been going against my opponent,” he said.When asked what action could be taken following the Parkland shooting, Rubio conceded, “If history is an indicator, maybe nothing and that would be unfortunate.”Photo Credit: Getty Images
Source: NBC San Diego