Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim called for new gun control laws on assault rifles at the close of his press conference following Syracuse’s 72-68 win over Detroit on Monday night for his 900th win.
Boeheim’s comments were in reference to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday that left 27 people dead. The gunman used an assault rifle.
“If we in this country as Americans cannot get the people that represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society,” Boeheim said. “I’m not talking about hunting; rifles. That’s fine. If one person in this world, the NRA, the president, anybody, can tell me why we need assault weapons with 30 shots in the thing.”
Some members of the media began clapping when Boeheim made his remarks.
Boeheim then commented on Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert’s appearance on Fox News Sunday, where Gohmert suggested that the tragedy wouldn’t have taken place had the teachers in Connecticut been armed. “I wish to God she had an M-4 in her office locked up — so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out and she didn’t have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands,” the Congressman said.
“We need to give teachers guns so they can shoot people,” Boeheim said, paraphrasing Gohmert. “Yeah, that’s really good thinking to do that.”
» Related: What we learned from SU’s win
Boeheim said that new laws needed to be created sooner rather than later.
“If we can’t get this thing done, I don’t know what kind of country we have,” Boeheim said. “We need to make them understand somehow that this needs to get figured out, real quick. Not six months from now.”
For more Syracuse coverage, Like our Facebook page and follow us @TheJuiceOnline.
