Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) declared on Saturday that he backs the “real” Second Amendment, rather than an “imaginary” version of the provision that he says is touted by gun rights advocates.
“I support the real 2nd Amendment, not the imaginary 2nd Amendment,” Murphy tweeted. “And the real #2A isn’t absolute. It allows Congress to wake up to reality and ban these assault rifles that are designed for one purpose only – to kill as many people as fast as possible.”
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Murphy’s tweet came a day after a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas left at least 10 people dead and 10 others injured. Authorities also said they had located explosive devices at the school, as well as off campus.
The suspected shooter was identified as 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a student at the school. One other student has been detained as a person of interest.
Murphy has been an outspoken advocate for stricter gun laws, particularly banning assault-style weapons like the AR-15, which has become a relatively common firearm in mass shootings.
Pagourtzis allegedly used a shotgun and a .38 revolver belonging to his father to carry out the shooting in Texas on Friday, authorities said. Neither gun is considered an assault-style weapon.
Murphy’s home state became the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history in 2012, when a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 20 children and six adults.