After Horrific Uvalde Testimony on Capitol Hill, Texas Democrats Ask What Greg Abbott Knew and When

AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, after yesterday’s testimony on Capitol Hill from Uvalde pediatrician Dr. Roy Guerrero describing victims of the Uvalde massacre as having “been so pulverized by the bullets fired at them, over and over again, whose flesh had been so ripped apart, that the only clue as to their identities were the blood spattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them,” and a re-examination of Governor Abbott’s remarks immediately following the shooting, Texas Democrats are asking what the Governor knew, when, and if he was purposefully misconstruing key details that may have been politically inconvenient. 

Texas Democratic Party Deputy Communications Director Ike Hajinazarian released the following statement: 

“After re-watching the video of Governor Abbott’s remarks, paired with Dr. Guerrero’s courageous testimony on Capitol Hill yesterday, it’s clear that the Governor knew this massacre had been committed with an assault rifle -- but deliberately chose to downplay that fact because he knew it would be politically inconvenient. 

“In the video, at 0:41, Governor Abbott says the shooter entered ‘with a handgun, and he may have also had a rifle -- but that is not yet confirmed, according to my most recent report.’

“Considering Dr. Guerrero’s testimony about the gruesome nature of this tragedy, it’s clear that any basic examination of this crime scene would have told the Governor this was a crime committed with a weapon designed to obliterate and shred human life as quickly and as brutally as possible.

“It’s time to ban assault rifles so we never see another massacre like the one at Robb Elementary ever again. But Governor Abbott’s NRA donors don’t want him to say that. So instead, he hedges -- and, in the process, misleads Texans while continuing to put Texan children in harm’s way.”

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