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Vice presidential candidates debate school shootings
Massachusetts

Vice presidential candidates debate school shootings

During Tuesday’s CBS News vice presidential debate, candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance discussed gun control policy.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has made reducing gun violence a central part of her campaign while emphasizing that both she and Walz own guns.

Firearms are the most common cause of death among children and young people, as the moderator emphasized. The exchange between Walz and Vance turned poignant at times as the candidates expressed concern about their own children being at risk of gun violence. But Vance, who opposes most gun control laws, was first asked about how to curb mass shootings and whether parents should be held accountable.

Here’s what he had to say:

Live broadcast of the debate: JD Vance and Tim Walz fight over abortion rights and health care

Vance: “We have to make sure the doors are locked better”

In a common refrain throughout the debate, Vance blamed gun violence on immigration problems at the border.

However, in proposing a solution to school shootings, he said schools should increase their security.

“I don’t want my children to go to school in a school that feels unsafe or where there are visible signs of safety, but unfortunately I think we need to increase safety in our schools,” Vance said. “We have to do a better job of closing the doors. We have to make the doors stronger. We need to make the windows stronger, and of course we need to increase the number of school resource officers.”

Walz: “We have a responsibility to our children to find out”

In his rebuttal, Walz said, “Do you want your schools to look like a fortress?”

Walz also praised his record in Minnesota passing enhanced background checks for firearm sales.

As Harris did on the campaign trail, Walz brought up the fact that he is a hunter and gun owner and pushed back against the idea that anyone who supports background checks wants to take away people’s guns.

“We understand that the Second Amendment exists, but our first responsibility is for our children to figure that out,” he said.

Watch the VP debate:

You can watch the recording of the CBS News vice presidential debate beginning Tuesday, October 1, on CBS or the simulcast at www.usatoday.com.

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