The governor of Texas is drawing fire from gun-safety and free-press advocates after a joke about shooting journalists.
Greg Abbott made the gaffe while visiting a gun range in the state capital Austin, where he was signing a bill lowering the cost of a handgun license.
Abbott was demonstrating his shooting skills at an upstairs firing gallery on Friday when he quipped: "I'm gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters."
A photo of the moment, published by the Texas Tribune, showed the grinning first-term Republican governor pointing to the centre of his paper target, where three rounds had pierced the bull's eye circle.
His comment drew sharp rebukes from Reporters Without Borders and the Washington-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Both said the incident was especially troubling as it came amid increasingly hostile rhetoric directed against the news media by US President Donald Trump and his supporters.
"This joke was dangerous and out of line. Because it's never just a joke to some," Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said in a statement.
"Words matter. In a state and country where dangerous people can still so easily buy guns without a background check, leaders of every political stripe should be careful not to green light violence on their behalf."
The two groups also cited the assault charge filed on Wednesday against Republican Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte of Montana, accused of body-slamming a reporter who asked him about healthcare on the eve of his election.
"Politicians must condemn this dangerous rhetoric against reporters as it can quickly escalate to physical violence like we saw in Montana," Reporters Without Borders said in a Tweet
Share
