Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo isn’t interested in people’s pro-gun views.
Hours after the deadly school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas on Friday, Acevedo posted a Facebook message about his growing frustration with gun violence as well as policymakers’ lack of action on the issue. The chief also asked his Facebook friends to refrain from posting any pro-gun comments in wake of the recent school shooting; any individual who refused to honor his request would risk getting “unfriended.”
“Today I spent the day dealing with another mass shooting of children and a responding police officer who is clinging to life. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve shed tears of sadness, pain and anger,” he wrote in part. “I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do. My feelings won’t be hurt if you de-friend me and I hope yours won’t be if you decide to post about your views and I de-friend you.”
Acevedo continued: “I have never accepted the status-quo in anything I do and I’ve never accepted defeat. And I won’t do it now. I will continue to speak up and will stand up for what my heart and my God commands me to do, and I assure you he hasn’t instructed me to believe that gun-rights are bestowed by him.”
You can read the chief’s full statement below.
This isn’t the first time Acevedo has expressed his support for gun reform. As pointed out by HuffPost, the chief participated in the March for Our Lives rally earlier this year.
