Louie Gohmert Apologizes For Colorado Shooting Remark: ‘Grossly Taken Out Of Context’
On Saturday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) apologized for offending anyone with his controversial suggestion that the Aurora, Colo., shootings were the result of “ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs,” and stressed that his remarks were “grossly taken out of context.”
The offending remarks were made just hours after the movie theater shooting on Ernie Istook‘s Heritage Foundation radio program. Rep. Gohmert suggested that the massacre was a result of “ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs” and later wondered why nobody else in the theater had a gun to help take down the shooter. Both remarks were controversial, with the latter garnering criticism from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who called the congressman “nonsensical.”
“Some of my comments in an interview with Ernie Istook on his Heritage Foundation radio show have been grossly taken out of context,” Rep. Gohmert said in a statement over the weekend.
“Ernie is a good friend and former Congressman who asked for the interview long before the horror in Colorado. I had promised him a 10 minute interview and the topic scheduled for discussion was to be the economy and the President’s comments about it,” the congressman continued. “Instead of the prearranged interview, Ernie asked me about the shooting in Colorado mentioning a Washington Post column that already brought up the issue of gun control, as well as, asking about my own personal experience as a judge with years on the bench. Tragedies immediately become personal, and I thought about our shooting in Tyler and what a hero Mark Wilson was along with another prior shooting in Texas.”
Wilson was a Tyler, Texas resident who, in 2005, was killed after shooting a gunman who opened firing outside a courthouse. Wilson’s death came while defending his wife and son from the shooter.
“As a father, my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones in this heartless attack. The killings were a senseless, outrageous act,” the Texas lawmaker concluded. “Our thoughts and prayers continue for all those so tragically affected, and I am very sorry if my comments caused heartache to anyone in Colorado.”
Listen to the original remarks below:
(h/t Houston Chronicle)
