POLITICS

U.S. Senator fires back at Ky. Gov. Matt Bevin over gun tweet

Carl Weiser
Cincinnati Enquirer
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin speaks to supporters gathered at The Champions of Liberty Rally in Hebron, Ky., Aug 11, 2017. Bevin was joined at the fundraising event by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, and U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has a message for those calling for more gun laws in the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting: it won't work.

"To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regs...You can't regulate evil..." Bevin, a first-term Republican, said in a Tweet Monday morning.

Bevin's tweet, which as of Tuesday had been liked or retweeted thousands of times, drew this response from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. As the senate who represents Newtown, Murphy has been an advocate of stricter gun control measures.

 

The killings in Las Vegas - the largest mass shooting in U.S. history - prompted immediate debates on social media over whether the U.S. needs to do more to regulate guns. 

A gunman opened fire from a hotel room above a packed, outdoor concert in Las Vegas, killing at least 58, wounding 515 more and prompting chaos as the panicked crowd scrambled for cover. 

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who announced the death toll, said the shooter, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, was found dead by officers who stormed his 32nd-floor room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Among those calling for more gun control in the shooting's wake: Hillary Clinton. 

"Our grief isn't enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening again," she tweeted.

Bevin's tweet immediately drew dozens of responses from both sides.

"It's literally a prime example of why citizens shouldn't have guns. That's why we draw attention to it," said one commenter. 

"It is not a gun problem it is a heart problem," said another.