During his 3:00 p.m. ET hour show on Monday, MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi devoted a segment to criticizing Florida’s gun laws and seemed to blame a lack of strict firearm regulation in the state for Sunday’s shooting at a video gaming competition in Jacksonville. However, just seconds later, the host was informed by a reporter that the shooter bought his guns legally in the state of Maryland.
“As we wait to learn more about the gunman who opened fire at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, and where he got his gun, it’s worth taking another look at gun laws in Florida,” Velshi announced as he came back from a commercial break. Rather than wait for those important facts, the anchor instead pressed ahead with pushing the gun control narrative:
Florida does not require a permit to buy rifles or handguns. It doesn’t require firearms to be registered, and it does not require gun owners to be licensed. Florida does not require a permit to carry a rifle. It does require a permit to carry a handgun. There are very few restrictions on gun owners other than that requirement to carry a permit if you’re a handgun owner.
There’s also a so-called “red flag law” that allows police to take guns from those deemed dangerous by their friends and family for up to a year. And if a gun is purchased in Florida, there’s a three-day waiting period, but this doesn't apply if you trade in your old gun for a new gun.
Velshi further lamented: “...only the state government in Florida is allowed to enact gun legislation. Local governments are absolutely not allowed to make their own laws on firearms.”
Only seconds later, correspondent Maya Rodriguez reported live from Jacksonville and provided Velshi with some key details about the shooter:
The sheriff’s office just wrapped up a news conference just a short time ago. They said the guns they found with [David] Katz were purchased legally in Maryland. We know that the police were at his home in Baltimore yesterday, combing through the home trying to find any evidence that might be related to this shooting.
So not only were the guns not purchased in Florida, they were purchased in Maryland, a liberal state hardly known for having lax guns laws.
Velshi didn’t bother to take back any of his criticism of Florida. In fact, on Tuesday morning, he actually tweeted out video of his Monday afternoon segment and ranted: “Here’s how ridiculously easy it is to get a gun in Florida.”
Even when the facts ran against him, the supposed “journalist” still promoted gun control talking points.
CNN similarly rushed to judgment on the Jacksonville shooting, teeing up anti-gun activist Mark Kelly to denounce Florida’s gun laws shortly after news broke of the tragedy on Sunday afternoon.
The media never let the facts get in the way of pushing a liberal narrative.
Here is a transcript of Velshi’s August 27 segment on Florida’s gun laws:
3:29 PM ET
ALI VELSHI: As we wait to learn more about the gunman who opened fire at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, and where he got his gun, it’s worth taking another look at gun laws in Florida. Florida does not require a permit to buy rifles or handguns. It doesn’t require firearms to be registered, and it does not require gun owners to be licensed. Florida does not require a permit to carry a rifle. It does require a permit to carry a handgun. There are very few restrictions on gun owners other than that requirement to carry a permit if you’re a handgun owner.
There’s also a so-called “red flag law” that allows police to take guns from those deemed dangerous by their friends and family for up to a year. And if a gun is purchased in Florida, there’s a three-day waiting period, but this doesn't apply if you trade in your old gun for a new gun.
Here’s something interesting, only the state government in Florida is allowed to enact gun legislation. Local governments are absolutely not allowed to make their own laws on firearms. Any local government official that tries to do something, like say, post a sign prohibiting guns, risks removal from office and a $5,000 fine. Ten localities are suing the state of Florida over that law.
Republican Governor Rick Scott, who’s running for the U.S. Senate seat that’s currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson, had this to say about it last night.
GOV. RICK SCOTT [R-FL]: I think we what all need to do is we need to really stop and start praying about why – why young men, why is this happening to young men? I think we’ve got to pray about it. We’ve got to take action, you can’t just pray about something, but something’s got to change.
VELSHI: Now, people who participate in these video game tournaments are calling for increased security at the events in wake of yesterday’s shooting in Jacksonville. Investigators say they still don’t know why 24-year-old David Katz opened fire at the Madden ’19 tournament in Jacksonville and hurt 10 others before he killed himself. People at the event say Katz didn’t talk with fellow gamers either online or when they met face to face.
NBC’s Maya Rodriguez joins us now from Jacksonville with the latest. Maya?
MAYA RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, Ali. Well, 22-year-old Eli Clayton and 27-year-old Taylor Robinson, the two people who were killed by the gunman yesterday, by all accounts were well liked and well known within the gaming community. And like you said, police have not released a particular motive in this case or whether these two individuals were targeted by the gunman.
The sheriff’s office just wrapped up a news conference just a short time ago. They said the guns they found with Katz were purchased legally in Maryland. We know that the police were at his home in Baltimore yesterday, combing through the home trying to find any evidence that might be related to this shooting.
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