CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Congressman Randy Weber of Texas

Interview

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TAPPER: We're back with the breaking and tragic news. A live look at White House where President Trump has ordered the flags at half staff, this to honor the 10 innocent people, nine of them students at Santa Fe High School in Texas.

Now joining me on the phone is Congressman Randy Weber, he represents the district where the massacre took place earlier this morning.

Congressman, obviously, we're all thinking and praying for you and your community right now. What could you tell us about how the people in Santa Fe are holding up?

REP. RANDY WEBER (R), TEXAS (via telephone): Well, they are what I -- thanks for having me, Jake. They are what I call the salt of the earth. [16:20:00] It's a small town south of Houston. Actually, it's about

eight to 10 miles south of my home as the crow flies. You know, they -- the town population is probably about 12,000-plus people and the high school is probably 1,400 students. It's just a tragedy, a travesty that something like this would happen.

We woke up to that shock this morning. I was on the way to -- actually to the Capitol Hill, to the office here when I got the news. So we're all very, very stunned by it.

TAPPER: And, Congressman, after the Parkland shooting earlier this year, we learned a lot about the red flags that were essentially ignored or at least not enough attention was paid to them by law enforcement and others. I know it is very, very early, but are there red flags that you've heard about with this suspected shooter?

WEBER: Well, you know, unofficially, I've gotten -- of course, that is my district. I've grown up in the 20 mile radius on the gulf coast within my district in the last 64 years, so I know the area quite well. So I know just about all of the actors and local law enforcement and county and state officials and on and on. So I've been in conversation with just so many of them and these are not officially released.

But I believe from what I know and we've heard some of the report in the media, you know, the fact that he put the born to kill t-shirt on -- I would argue quite frankly, Jake, the fact that he wore a long overcoat even a 90-degree day could make us uncomfortable, if I want to say it that way, where you ought to say, gosh, should there be a dress code because you could hide anything you want under a long overcoat, obviously, and that is apparently what he did.

So red flags, the black shirt, born to kill and other comments that I think y'all mentioned earlier. I tell kids all of the time, we need a policy of if you see something, and not just kids but adults as well, if you see something, say something. You know, that needs to be something that we -- maybe we get a federal program for training where we -- I've been pushing here lately for active shooter training, a couple of resources -- a couple of officers in each school.

TAPPER: They've have that at the school, though, sir, you know? I don't mean to interrupt, I'm sorry, but the school did have active shooter training and they have school resource officers. One of them is injured I think, wounded in the hospital.

WEBER: Absolutely. But we need not -- you know, I hesitate to use the word mandatory because I'm a big states rights believer, that we should make it available. But they ought to have training every single year and maybe even more than that, maybe they need community training where you actually bring in parents, teachers, coaches, stakeholders, whether they are school district employees for training and you say, look, we need to come together as a community and say this is obviously an epidemic and it's gone on one time was too often.

And so, maybe we have timing where we say if you see something, say something, and what does that mean and how do we come together as a community, because we need to really redouble our efforts to do something about this.

TAPPER: Earlier today, we were told that the shooter apparently -- and again this is all very early information, but the shooter apparently got his guns, the shotgun and a .38 revolver from his father, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick of the state of Texas, a big gun rights supporter as you are, had a message for parents out there, which is if your a law-abiding gun owner, lock up your guns so that your children cannot get them.

Do you agree?

WEBER: Well, absolutely. You don't want underage children getting access to your guns. The curious situation in this, Jake, was this suspected shooter, if I understand correctly, he's 17 years old and think under Texas law, he's an adult.

TAPPER: Right.

WEBER: That presents an interesting legal question.

TAPPER: Lastly, sir, I know that in the future we can have the debate and discussion about what legislative steps should be taken, if any, to prevent these mass tragedies, but I understand Congressman Ted Deutsche, the Democratic Florida congressman who represents Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the shooting was earlier this year, I understand that you two had a conversation, even an emotional moment that your politics might be different, but he went through something you are now going through.

WEBER: We did. It was witnessed in the hall. He came up to me with tears in his eyes and gave me a big hug, and he's a very good friend of mine, and yes, our politics are slightly different but we have more in common I think than people realize.

And that is where we need to come together on these school shootings. The discussion needs to be about what we have in common and the safety of our kids and how we need to fix this, because this is way out of -- way out of hand.

TAPPER: Congressman Weber, thanks so much for joining us. Obviously, safe travels and we're wishing for the best and praying for the best for the people of Santa Fe.

[16:25:03] WEBER: Thanks, Jake.

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