Texas Rep. Keith Self said his prayers are with victims, their families and law enforcement officers who are investigating the shooting in Allen, Texas, declining to outline specific actions he would take to address shootings when pressed by a CNN anchor.
Self represents Texas’ 3rd Congressional District, which includes Allen.
Asked by CNN’s Paula Reid what — in his capacity as a lawmaker — could be done to better prevent mass shootings, the lawmaker said he was “focused on the families and the victims today.”
When asked to respond to critics who say prayers aren’t enough to prevent shootings, he told CNN: “Well, those are people that don’t believe in an almighty God who is absolutely in control of our lives. I’m a Christian. I believe that he is.”
Self said he wanted to know the motive of the shooter and whether they had a criminal record or mental health issues.
“We have people though with mental health that we’re not taking care of,” Self told Reid. “Since this nation made the decision that we were going to close the mental health institutions, many of these situations are based on that.”
Before the interview, Self released a statement on Twitter Saturday:
“We are (devastated) by the tragic news of the shootings that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets today. Our prayers are with the victims and their families and all law enforcement on the scene. This is an ongoing situation, but Allen PD has full control of the scene. A shooter is down and there are multiple casualties. They are continuing to work to ensure the scene is safe. The public is being asked to stay away from that area while this investigation continues.”
CNN’s Jeremy Grisham contributed to this report
