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Sen. John Kennedy dismissed the idea of tightening up gun laws — instead suggesting that the city brings back the stop-and-frisk tactic to combat gun violence.
The Louisiana Republican weighed in on the discourse shortly after a crazed gunman stormed a Midtown skyscraper before killing a brave NYPD officer and three others Monday.
Appearing on Fox News, Kennedy said that “all you can do in a time like this is be sorry” for the victims, before anticipating that some of his colleagues will be advocating for increased gun control measures as a result of the massacre.
“On Capitol Hill, probably beginning in the morning, there’ll be the inevitable call by some of my colleagues for more gun control laws,” Kennedy (R-La.) said on Sean Hannity’s show Monday.
“We’ve got hundreds of gun control laws, Sean. Maybe thousands. We don’t need more gun control, we need more idiot control, and I don’t know exactly how to do that.”
The shooter, identified as Las Vegas resident Shane Tamura stormed into the 44-story building — which headquarters Blackstone and the NFL — armed with a rifle and opened fire at around 6:30 p.m. during the evening rush.
The 27-year-old unleashed his rampage after setting foot in the lobby before ultimately turning the gun on himself.
“I don’t want to hear anyone feeling sorry for this guy who did this,” Kennedy said of the shooter. “I believe there’s objective evil in this world, and we saw it today. I’m just sorry.”
Kennedy also floated the idea of bringing back the stop-and-frisk policy.
“The other thing that, frankly, New York’s going to have to face, is the issue of whether we should bring back more aggressive stop and frisk, which is a perfectly legal law enforcement tactic,” he added.
NYC Midtown shooting timeline
- Reports of the shooting at 345 Park Avenue started coming in at around 6:28 p.m.
- The shooter, Shane Tamura, 27, was seen on surveillance footage getting out of a double parked black BMW between 51st and 52nd Street, with an M4 rifle.
- He then walks towards the skyscraper, enters the lobby and turns right, where he shot police officer Didarul Islam, 36, dead.
- Tamura then gunned down a woman cowering behind a pillar in the lobby, as he sprayed more bullets and walked toward the elevator bank — where he shot dead a security guard crouching at his desk.
- One more man reported being shot and injured in the lobby. He was in critical but stable condition.
- The gunman allowed a woman to walk out of the elevators unharmed, before heading up to the 33rd floor, where building owner Rudin Properties’ offices are located, “and begins to walk the floor, firing as he traveled.”
- One man was shot and killed on that floor.
- “He then proceeds down a hallway and shoots himself in the chest,” ending his rampage.
- It’s unclear how long the mayhem lasted. Tisch posted on X at 7:52 p.m.: “the scene has been contained and the lone shooter has been neutralized.”
Elsewhere, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke out about the “tragic and horrifying” mass shooting.
“The murder of a brave New York City police officer and several innocent civilians is tragic and horrifying,” the House Minority Leader said in a statement.
“We mourn their loss and stand with their families during this time of need. Our prayers and gratitude are also with those heroic law enforcement officers and first responders who put their lives on the line and selflessly rushed to the scene to save others.”
“Mass shootings are a plague. The gun violence epidemic continues to afflict our country and now has shattered lives in our great City. The time has come for decisive action,” Jeffries added.
