Andrew Yang Breaks Down In Tears After Woman Whose Toddler Died In Accidental Shooting Tells Her Story
During a gun safety discussion on Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang broke down in tears, Mediaite reports.
Yang was moved to tears by a mother’s story about her daughter being killed in an accidental shooting.
“My beautiful 4-year-old daughter was struck by a stray bullet March 2011. My son, my daughter’s twin brother, witnessed what happened that day. She died two days later,” the woman said, before asking Yang how he plans on addressing gun violence if he becomes president.
Yang hugged the woman, and then returned to the stage to answer her question, but he was not able to. The Democrat broke down crying, telling the audience that the story made him imagine what he would feel like if the same happened to his children.
“I have a 6 and a 3-year-old boy … and I was imagining it was one of them who got shot and the other saw it,” Yang said, breaking down in tears.
“I’m so sorry,” he told the woman, before recomposing himself.
“That scene that she described, it was very very affecting,” he said.
The Democrat then went on to answer the question, and explain what he would do to curb gun violence in the country. According to Yang, the best way to minimize gun violence in the United States, and to avoid tragedies involving children, is to personalize guns.
The Democrat would, if elected president, “convince Americans that personalized guns are a good idea,” he said, explaining that one of his proposals involves personalizing weapons free of charge, which would make it impossible for anyone but the owner to fire it.
After answering the question, Yang went back into the audience, to give the distressed woman another hug.
WATCH: 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang speaks through his tears as he responds to a woman in Iowa who talked to him about her daughter, who was hit by a stray bullet and died, and her son, the girl’s twin, who saw it happen – @alivitali / @MauraBarrettNBC pic.twitter.com/zt0x4df6DN
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 10, 2019
The candidate’s policy proposals relating to gun safety are extensively detailed on his campaign website, yang2020.
According to the website, if elected president, Yang would work on banning the manufacturing and sale of weapons used in mass shootings, create a new gun licensing policy, make sure that those looking to purchase guns have access to mental health resources, and provide additional training for gun owners.
Yang would also close a number of loopholes, including the gun show loophole, prevent violent individuals from owning guns, expand background checks, confiscate modified weapons, maintain a number of current restrictions, and more.
Andrew Yang says there is "no choice" but to call President Trump a white supremacist https://t.co/mOJA6EVsSV pic.twitter.com/1MKCsVbmA4
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 10, 2019
On August 8, Yang became the ninth candidate to qualify for the third Democratic debate, according to Vox, outpacing well-known Democrats such as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sen. Tim Ryan of Ohio, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
