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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said in a Facebook posting Friday that "fellow Christians" should consider getting a handgun carry permit after the mass shooting in Oregon.
Survivors told authorities the gunman demanded at least some of the victims state their religion before shooting them at a community college.
In his posting, Ramsey, also the Tennessee state Senate speaker, called recent U.S. mass shootings "truly troubling."
"I would encourage my fellow Christians who are serious about their faith to think about getting a handgun carry permit," Ramsey wrote. "I have always believed that it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it. Our enemies are armed. We must do likewise."
At least one lawmaker joined those rejecting the posting.
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