Beto O'Rourke confronts person laughing during Uvalde speech

Dylan Stableford
·Senior Writer
Updated ·1 min read

During a speech at a town hall meeting in Mineral Wells, Texas, on Wednesday, Beto O’Rourke lashed out at an audience member who was apparently laughing while O’Rourke was reflecting on the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

“It may be funny to you, motherf***er,” O’Rourke said. “But it’s not funny to me.”

The crowd applauded O’Rourke, the former Democratic presidential hopeful who is running for Texas governor.

Beto O'Rourke
Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaking in Bastrop, Texas, last week. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

O’Rourke has pushed for stricter gun control measures in the wake of the May 24 massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

During the town hall, he reiterated his call for a ban on assault weapons like the one used by the gunman in Uvalde.

O’Rourke has also criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s response to the shooting.

Robb Elementary School
A memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

At a press conference convened by Abbott in Uvalde a day after the massacre, O’Rourke interrupted the governor, who had emphasized that mental illness had likely played a role in the shooting and steered clear of talking about enacting any new gun restrictions.

“This is on you until you choose to do something,” O’Rourke told Abbott before he was escorted out of the room by security.