Beto O'Rourke interrupts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's elementary-school-shooting press conference and accuses him of 'doing nothing'

• Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O'Rourke interrupted a press conference in Uvalde, Texas.
• Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas officials were addressing the recent local shooting.

Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Texas congressman, confronted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a press conference over Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, accusing him of "doing nothing" about gun violence.

As Abbott was wrapping up his statement, O'Rourke approached the stage and began speaking.

"You are doing nothing. You are offering us nothing. You said this was not predictable. This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything," O'Rourke told the Republican governor during the Wednesday briefing at Uvalde High School.

As O'Rourke interrupted the press conference, one Texas official behind the governor shouted that O'Rourke was "out of line" and a "sick son of a bitch."

That official was identified by The Texas Tribune as Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told O'Rourke, "You're out of line and an embarrassment." O'Rourke was ultimately escorted out by security.

As he left, O'Rourke turned around and pointed his finger: "It's on you."

Abbott rebuked the former congressman's actions after O'Rourke was escorted from the building, saying there was nothing officials could do to "heal the broken hearts" of the victim's families.

"We need all Texans to — in this one moment in time — put aside the personal agendas, think of somebody other than ourselves, think about the people who are hurt," Abbott said, "and help those who have been hurt."

After leaving the building, O'Rourke addressed a crowd of reporters and continued to rail against Abbott.

"He's refused to champion red-flag laws," O'Rourke said. "He's refused to support safe storage laws so young people cannot get their hands on their parent's guns. He's refused to support a ban on AR-15s and AK-47s."

O'Rourke then pivoted to discuss the shooting itself.

"Why are we letting this happen in this country?" O'Rourke said. "Why is this happening in this state year after year, city after city?"

The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday left 19 children and two teachers dead. Law-enforcement officials said the 18-year-old gunman acted alone, and Abbott said the shooter was killed by a Border Patrol officer at the scene.

The shooting at the Texas school is the deadliest US elementary-school shooting since the 2012 attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Authorities have said that the gunman shot his grandmother at her home nearby before he carried out the deadly shooting.

Both Abbott and O'Rourke won their respective party's nominations in March. The two are set to face off for the state's executive seat on November 8.