Montel Williams declared on Twitter that he has given up firearm ownership because he has been impacted by engaging with people who were impacted by shootings.
“Watching the video from the #allenoutletmall shooting reminds me why I am no longer a gun owner. I choose to be the change I want to see in the world,” he wrote, referring to the Saturday shooting in Allen, Texas, that left eight victims dead.
“I am no longer a gun owner because I have looked victims of school shootings in the eye, and the look in their eyes is seared in my mind. I’ve listened to other parents like @fred_guttenberg, educators like @fetchik_andy, and teenagers who survived shootings. That’s why,” he explained.
Williams engaged with people on social media who replied to his remarks.
“How is disarming yourself, a safe gun owner, stopping any criminals? That’s not change,” someone asked.
“Hi Alexi – thanks for asking a substantive question It’s appreciated. I concede your point – it will have no real world impaxt. It mattered to me. I don’t need to own a gun right now. If I decide in the future I do need one, I will buy one,” Williams replied.
“That’s a dumb take. Afraid you were going to shoot innocents?” someone else wrote to Williams.
“Nope. It’s because I’m a father who has been profoundly impacted by spending lots of time with suvivors, their families, and their teachers. I’m not suggesting what I did will have an impact, but I needed to do something. Thank you for your service. Go Navy!” Williams responded.
Williams is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and a Navy and Marine Corp veteran, according to his Instagram profile.
“Each person has the right to do what is best for them. With that said, and I am not being snarky here, all you really did was make sure that if your family gets caught a dangerous situation, you have no way to protect them now,” someone else wrote.
Williams replied by noting that he lives in Miami, and that if her were in danger he would seek help from police. “We have police in this country m’am. I live in Miami – there is a constant police presence in my area, so I’d call 911,” Williams tweeted.
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