Senator Admits No Gun Law Could Stop Georgia Shooting but Continues to Blame Guns

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) admitted on Sunday that no specific gun law would have prevented last week’s deadly shooting at a Georgia high school, but still laid the blame on firearms and pushed for more gun control. Warnock’s remarks came during an interview on NBC’s "Meet The Press" where he faced questions about the ongoing debate over gun laws and the tragedy in Georgia.

When asked by host Kristen Welker if there was a “specific law” that could have prevented the shooting, Warnock dodged the question, instead focusing on the AR-15-style rifle used by the 14-year-old suspect, which had been gifted to him by his father. “Listen, 14-year-olds don’t need AR-15s,” Warnock said, calling for a ban on so-called "military-style weapons."

Despite this, he conceded that “there is no one single law that will stop all of these tragedies.” This acknowledgment undercut his insistence that tighter gun control would have made a difference. The fact remains that gun laws in Georgia, like federal regulations, already require background checks and have restrictions on underage possession of firearms, yet the tragedy occurred anyway.

Warnock then shifted the conversation to the broader issue of gun violence in the U.S., citing “two mass shootings a day in our country” based on recent data. He criticized politicians who, in his view, are beholden to the “gun lobby,” and lamented that “we’re all sitting ducks” when it comes to school shootings. His remarks echoed the same rhetoric that many on the Left use to push for more gun restrictions, despite evidence that existing laws did not prevent this specific tragedy.

Welker pressed Warnock further, asking whether Vice President Kamala Harris should revive her previous support for a mandatory gun buy-back program, as she had endorsed during her 2019 presidential campaign. Warnock dodged again, stating that “we’re not going to be able to get where we need to go without action in Congress.”

Warnock’s comments come as Democrats continue to push for stricter gun control measures, despite the fact that many of their proposals would likely do little to prevent shootings like the one in Georgia. Even Harris, now the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, appears to be softening her stance on mandatory buy-backs. Her campaign recently clarified that she would “not push for mandatory buy-backs” but supports an assault weapons ban and expanded background checks a far cry from the more radical positions she once held.

For many Americans, particularly those in conservative states like Georgia, the push for more gun control feels disconnected from reality. Warnock’s admission that no single law could stop these tragedies speaks to the broader truth: criminals and those intent on violence will always find ways to access weapons, regardless of the restrictions in place. At the same time, the rights of law-abiding gun owners are increasingly under threat by a political party more interested in banning firearms than addressing the root causes of violence.

Share this article or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about national security and gun rights.