Tennessee lawmaker under fire for plans to give away guns
DRESDEN, Tenn. — As the country grieves over the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead, State Representative Andy Holt is coming under fire for planning to give away guns as door prizes at an upcoming reelection benefit.
The representative said that he is receiving death threats against him, his staff in Nashville and his wife and kids.
The Dresden native plans to give away two AR-15 assault rifles during a fundraiser later this week. The same kind of gun used in the attack in Orlando.
“What we decided to do was to celebrate two of my favorite things and that’s good BBQ and my second amendment right,” Holt said, “We are giving away multiple door prizes at this point and two of those door prizes will be an opportunity to win an AR-15.”
He said they picked them for a reason.
“This item was selected specifically because of its various forms of utility. There are different things you can do with that particular rifle,” Holt continued, ” It’s a great rifle for small, medium or large game and also for self-defense and home defense purposes.”
The representative said the event was planned weeks before the Orlando shooting and people should not focus their attention on the gun.
Holt said the benefit is still on and is hoping to shift the negative to a positive but that does not come without opposition.
The Tennessee Democratic Party is calling Holt’s actions reckless and irresponsible.
“They don’t go around giving guns away without background checks. They do make sure that guns are safely and securely stored,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini said. “They are not toys, they don’t put guns in the hands of strangers. Who knows who is winning that gun and what they are going to use it for.”
Despite the controversy, Holt said the benefit will take place on his family farm June 25.
Representative Holt said he has identified the caller as a man from Memphis and is reporting the threats to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Holt said he will file charges and help with the investigation.
