By JOHN CARUCCI, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Toby Keith says he's not sure how to prevent tragedies like Wednesday's church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, but doesn't think stricter gun laws would make a difference.

"If it can happen in church, it can happen anywhere, so there's no answer to it," Keith said.

"Countries all over the world that have really strict gun polices, like Oslo, Norway. It happens there."

He feels it's hard to predict where violence will show up, but felt if a police officer had been praying at The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Wednesday, "maybe seven or eight of those nine people would still be alive."



Keith made the comments Thursday on the red carpet at the Songwriters Hall of Fame gala where he was being inducted.