Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) called for tighter school security, describing school shootings as a “fact of life” in the wake of this week’s school shooting in Georgia.
“If these psychos are going to go after our kids we’ve got to be prepared for it,” Vance said at a rally in Phoenix. “We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We’ve got to deal with it.”
His remarks came in response to a reporter’s question about what can be done to stop school shootings. The Ohio Republican argued that restricted access to guns will not prevent shootings, per the Associated Press.
“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said, per the news wire. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We’ve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they’re not able.”
The comments came one day after a shooting occurred at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., killing four people and injuring several more on Wednesday. Colt Gray, the 14-year-old suspect, is charged with four counts of felony murder.
Vance described the shooting as an “awful tragedy,” and called for prayers for the families in Winder.
Vice President Harris, the official Democratic presidential nominee, went off script on Wednesday to address the shooting, calling it a “senseless tragedy.” Harris said the country must end its gun violence epidemic “once and for all.”
Harris leads the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and has advocated for stronger gun control.
The Associated Press contributed.
