MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., will be making multiple stops this week in the Mountain State starting Tuesday.
Both congressional chambers are out of session, giving lawmakers the opportunity to return to their states and districts for other work.
During an appearance Monday on MetroNews “Talkline,” Capito spoke about the next steps to take following last week’s deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and faculty of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School died.
The shooting suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, appeared in court Monday. His lawyers previously said he will plead guilty if prosecutors agree to not seek the death penalty.
Capito said while she would not favor gun-control policy, she thinks it is fair to talk about what can be done to prevent violent acts from happening.
“We need to talk about the mental health system,” she said. “(Cruz) was in counseling at some point. He was in a foster home. It sounded like the foster mother was trying to help him.”
Capito said it was “disheartening” to hear the FBI failed to follow protocols after receiving tips about Cruz.
“What happened there? Why did it fall through the cracks?” she said. “I think we have to talk about everything, and that includes the gun and how it was acquired and what it’s being used for.”
When asked if she was open to gun-control policy, Capito insisted she is not an advocate for such laws but open to talking about policy.
“Let’s just see where this goes,” she said. “West Virginians are very much abiders of the Constitution, which I am, too, and the Second Amendment. But I’m not afraid of a conversation.”