ATLANTA -- A Republican candidate for Georgia's governor announced he is holding a giveaway for bump stocks, the controversial, rapid-fire gun modification connected to the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.
In a statement on current state Sen. Michael Williams's website, the candidate announced his opposition to regulating or banning bump stocks and said he plans to give one away as a sign of solidarity with gun owners.
“The tragedy in Las Vegas broke my heart, but any talk of banning or regulating bump stocks is merely cheap political lip service from career politicians," Williams said in a statement.
Since the Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, the devices became the center of renewed debate about gun control measures. Investigators looking into the case determined Stephen Paddock was able to make his attack as deadly as it was thanks to the devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to mimic automatic weapons.
Following those revelations, some members of Congress, the White House and even the NRA said it would support an option to regulate bump stocks, though the gun group did not support an out-right ban.
In his statement, however, Williams dismissed those moves as a ploy to "deceive voters into believing they are taking action against gun violence."
"Georgia’s gun owners deserve a governor who will stand with them when liberals and Hollywood elites attack our fundamental rights," he resolved. "That’s why I am standing for the second amendment and giving away a bump stock as a show of support.”
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11Alive's Chris Hopper spoke to the candidate Tuesday to ask whether there was a different way to get his message of upholding gun rights out there without giving away the controversial bump stock device.
"I think people out there have a right to own a bump stock if they want one," he said. "There's a lot of collectors out there, people who use them as novelties, and it's not against the law. I think it's a good way to get the message out there."
When asked whether he worried the giveaway would send a wrong message and be perceived disrespectful to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, he said, "Not at all. I lost my father when I was 14 and nearly lost my son two years ago. I understand the heartache and pain that goes along with losing a loved one prematurely, but once again we're talking about the safety of our country and using and exercising our second amendment rights. And while it might be uncomfortable at times, it's something that we have to start doing."
11Alive asked its political analyst Andra Gillespie, whether it was a smart move.
"He's walking a really fine line here," the Emory political science professor said. "It becomes a question of whether or not he actually loses support amongst his base constituency and whether or not this could be used against him should he win the Republican nomination for governor."
This is not the first time Williams has used unconventional methods to garner name recognition in a crowded governor's race. Since the Forsyth County native announced his intent to run for governor in July, the representative has claimed he was offered a key position to drop out of the race, pointed to two tragic crimes out of Gwinnett County to push for a statewide expansion of a federal immigration program, and held a protest outside a Forsyth County school after two students were allegedly kicked out of class for wearing "Make America Great Again" t-shirts.
