HOUSTON, Texas – What initially looked like a photo opportunity soon escalated after an activist at the National Rifle Association Convention in Houston confronted US Sen. Ted Cruz, pushing him to take action on gun control laws.
The incident comes just days after an 18-year-old gunman went into a Uvalde elementary school with an AR-style rifle and opened fire, killing 19 children and two teachers.
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A video shared on Twitter by the group Indivisible Houston shows a man, identified as board member Benjamin Hernandez, posing for a photo with Cruz at a restaurant.
However, after the photographer is heard counting to three, Hernandez then turns to face the senator and begins questioning his inaction on gun control laws in wake of the Uvalde school shooting.
“You can make it hard for people to get guns in this country. You know that,” Hernandez said. “Why does this keep happening? Why?”
Security guards are seen pulling Hernandez further away from Cruz, but he continues to press on, urging the senator to take action.
“Why did you come here to the convention? To take blood money,” Hernandez said to Cruz, as he was being pulled away by security. “Why? When 19 children died! That’s on your hands!”
Hernandez also attended the We Demand Justice Rally just outside of the NRA convention Friday. He said on Twitter that “it’s time to take action on protecting citizens over firearms.”
Some political figures have also spoken out about gun control laws in recent days following the shooting, including Beto O’Rourke, who confronted Gov. Greg Abbott at a press conference on Wednesday.
O’Rourke, who is running for governor against Abbott, angrily confronted the governor and placed blame on him for not taking action on gun control legislation.
On Saturday, the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus also urged Abbott to call an emergency special legislative session to consider new gun restrictions and safety measures.