Video: Congressman Plans to Carry Gun After Baseball Practice Shooting
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.15.17
After the recent shooting where James T. Hodgkinson opened fire at a GOP Congressional baseball practice (raw video below,) Rep. Chris Collins, a Republican from Buffalo, New York, has already said he will be carrying a firearm with him whenever he’s out in public from now on.
The shooting in Virginia has added to tensions that were already sky high concerning security, and some have decided to take things up a notch. WKBW reports Rep. Collins intends to have armed police officers at all of his public events going forward, and he also plans to carry his own firearm with him as well.
Collins confirmed he has a concealed carry permit, saying, “If you look at the vulnerability, I assure you: I have a carry permit. I will be carrying when I’m out and about.” He continued saying, “On a rare occasion, I’d have my gun in a glove box or something, but it’s going to be in my pocket from this day forward.”
This stems from the horrific events that took place in Alexandria, Virginia, that sent five people to the hospital, including Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip who is still in serious condition.
Of course, not all lawmakers see this tragedy as a reason to up their own security. Brian Higgins, a Democratic Congressman, responded to a question about whether he would be changing his security protocol for public events, saying, “No, I don’t think so, we are as cautious as we need to be.”
The Tribunist is also reporting that Congresswoman Claudia Tenney from Binghamton, New York, received a threatening email after the shooting, which read “one down 216 to go,” however, officials are unsure of the credibility of the email.
Below is raw video footage taken at the scene of the shooting. The video contains some strong language and disturbing content; viewer discretion is advised:
