FL School Shooting Survivor: Media Pushing Gun Control, But Not Listening to Conservative Side

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Tucker Carlson battled a Florida Democrat over what he called the government's repeated "failures" to protect the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School from a troubled former student.

On Thursday, police announced that Deputy Scot Peterson, of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, was armed and stationed on the school’s campus when the 19-year-old gunman began his attack. However, Peterson did not enter the school despite knowing an attack was happening inside.

Peterson, a veteran officer who was named School Resource Officer of the Year in Parkland in 2014, was suspended without pay and placed under an internal investigation. In response, Peterson resigned and retired from the force.

Carlson asked Florida State Sen. Gary Farmer (D) why the response to the tragedy is entirely focused on gun control given the government's failure to protect its citizens.

Farmer said the officer was "on the other side of the campus" and he could not have stopped the "carnage" due to the firepower the gunman possessed.

"What you're doing is evading responsibility for the role of government," said Carlson, disputing Farmer's assertion that the officer could not have intervened.

"You don't know that. You're making it up," said Carlson.

Farmer said "assault weapons are the common denominator" in mass shootings and accused Carlson of trying to "shift the discussion" away from gun control measures. He said he supports a "gun registry" for firearm owners, arguing it would be the same as registering a motor vehicle or a boat.

"What is everybody afraid of?" Farmer asked.

Carlson said law-abiding citizens are "afraid that demagogues like you will misuse that information and after talking to you for a few minutes, that is a legitimate fear."

"Giving people like you power is frightening."

The FBI said after the shooting it failed to investigate a January 5 phone tip about the gunman's disturbing behavior and his arsenal of weapons. According to police, deputies were called to the gunman's home 39 times over a seven-year period.

Watch the full debate above.

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