Beto O'Rourke angrily confronts Texas Gov. Abbott during school shooting presser

Democratic candidate for Texas governor Beto O'Rourke on Wednesday furiously confronted opponent Gov. Greg Abbott (R) regarding the devastating Tuesday shooting at Robb Elementary.

It is difficult to tell from videos what exactly O'Rourke said, having gotten up from his seat during a scheduled presser, only that it quickly angered those surrounding the governor — a group that reportedly included the mayor of Uvalde, the Texas town where the shooting took place, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). "You are doing nothing," O'Rourke reportedly exclaimed, as tension grew.

According to CNN's Natasha Bertrand, O'Rourke was quickly escorted out by police.

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Almost immediately, the moment sparked intense reactions online.

On Tuesday, a gunman in Uvalde, Texas opened fire inside an elementary school classroom, killing at least 19 children and 2 adults; several others were injured. It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.