WATCH: Congressmen clash over guns and school shootings in the halls of the Capitol

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Rep Thomas Massie, R-Ky., had an impromptu and impassioned gun debate in the Capitol on Wednesday feet away from the House chamber.
Bowman, who worked as an educator for years before joining Congress, called Republicans “cowards” for not addressing the role of guns in school shootings. He started shouting about those concerns in a strategic place, where he knew other lawmakers would pass by.
Massie stopped as he was leaving to engage with Bowman– stressing that in his view, arming teachers is a good way to ensure greater safety in schools.

He asked Bowman if he had looked at data around arming teachers, appearing to cite a 2019 report by John Lott Jr. of the Crime Research Prevention Center, which found no shooting-related deaths or injuries during school hours on school properties that allow teachers to carry guns. Lott’s work generally finds more guns lead to more safety, in contrast to most academic work in the field, and is frequently cited by Republican lawmakers and the NRA.
Bowman repeatedly told Massie “more guns lead to more death.” “Look at the data,” he added.

The NewsHour reached out to both lawmakers about the data they cited.
The exchange came two days after a shooter killed six people, including three children, at a private school in Nashville.

Congress has very old and firm rules about how members interact. In the House chamber they’re not supposed to address each other directly from the podium. This kind of interaction, especially outside the chamber, is exceedingly rare.

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