A Rhode Island lawmaker has deleted a tweet calling a school shooting survivor a "dummy" for her response to the shooting that killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Nashville.

Republican state Rep. Mike Chippendale was responding Monday to Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, shooting who has become a gun control activist.

Gonzalez cited reports that the shooter's gun was taken away by an unarmed man as evidence that teachers do not need guns to protect students.

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Chippendale said the ensuing manhunt might have been avoided if the man did have a gun and "the entire region wouldn't be on lockdown...dummy."

Chippendale is co-chairman of Republican Allan Fung's gubernatorial campaign. A campaign spokesman called the tweet disappointing.

Chippendale did not respond to requests for comment.