A lawmaker from South Carolina pulled out his loaded pistol during a meeting with his constituents Friday to make a point about gun safety, according to advocacy group members who were present.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., placed the gun on a table for "several minutes" while arguing that the presence of the weapon in the room made his constituents safer, according to volunteers for the South Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
"Rep. Norman's behavior today was a far cry from what responsible gun ownership looks like," said Lori Freemon, a volunteer who attended the meeting, in a news release. "I had looked forward to a respectful dialogue with my representative about common-sense gun violence prevention policies."
"Instead, I felt unsafe when he insisted on showing us his loaded gun and keeping it out on the table for much of our conversation," she said.
A spokesman for Norman could not be immediately reached.