Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday slammed the divisive debate in the wake of the shooting a Florida high school, as students were returning to classes for the first time.

“The debate after #Parkland reminds us We The People don’t really like each other very much.We smear those who refuse to agree with us.We claim a Judea-Christian heritage but celebrate arrogance & boasting. & worst of all we have infected the next generation with the same disease,” Mr. Rubio, Florida Republican, tweeted.

Police said Nikolas Cruz, 19, used an AR-15 to fatally shoot 17 people and wound 15 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. He was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and is being held without bond.

The debate following the Parkland school massacre has become particularly heated as students push for gun control measures, while others say the problem is mental health and a lack of school safety.

A CNN town hall with survivors, lawmakers, law enforcement and a representative of the National Rifle Association last week displayed the tensions and disagreements on the issue.

Mr. Rubio was among the participants in that town hall and took much of the brunt of the audience’s anger.

The debate after #Parkland reminds us We The People don’t really like each other very much.We smear those who refuse to agree with us.We claim a Judea-Christian heritage but celebrate arrogance & boasting. & worst of all we have infected the next generation with the same disease — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2018

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