Following the tragic mass shooting at Willie’s Bar & Grill on St. Helena Island, where four people were killed and at least twenty others were wounded, Democratic congressional candidate Mac Deford issued the following statement:
“I am heartbroken, disturbed, and outraged by what happened on St. Helena Island. Four lives were stolen in an instant. Dozens more were wounded. Families and friends are shattered — and for what? Another senseless act of violence that may have been prevented if our leaders had the courage to act.”
Deford, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served as a federal law enforcement officer and weapons supervisor, said the tragedy is a reminder of what "complacency and cowardice in Washington and Columbia have cost."
“As someone who’s worn the uniform and carried a firearm as part of my job, I know the responsibility that comes with it. Thoughts and prayers are not a serious policy. They don’t stop bullets, and they don’t save lives. What happened on St. Helena deserves more than sympathy; it demands courage and leadership,” Deford said.
Deford condemned Rep. Nancy Mace and every Republican running in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District for "offering only thoughts, prayers, and platitudes in the face of escalating gun violence."
“From Nancy Mace to those seeking her congressional seat, all we’ve heard are empty statements of condolence. Not one of them has put forward a serious plan to prevent these tragedies. The people of the Lowcountry deserve better than politicians who tweet their thoughts and prayers and then go right back to doing nothing. That’s not leadership.”
Deford reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the Second Amendment while pursuing common-sense reforms to reduce gun violence, saying, “I support responsible gun ownership, and I know we can protect the Second Amendment while protecting human lives. We can respect the rights of law-abiding citizens and still keep guns out of the hands of those who would do harm. What’s missing isn’t a policy. It’s political will.”