Colorado Republican congressman Mike Coffman faced an angry crowd of constituents who repeatedly challenged him over his position on gun control during a heated town hall meeting on Tuesday night in his Denver-area district.
Greeted by a vocal group of protesters outside Cherry Creek High School, Coffman was frequently bombarded with boos and jeers from a packed audience.
“We’re done with thoughts and prayers,” one audience member shouted.
“An avalanche is coming to Washington, sir,” another said. “It is going to be led by our children.”
Arguing at one point that “force has to be met with force” when it comes to armed security officers in schools, Coffman was immediately met with a wave of “no” and boos.
Later, another audience member pressed Coffman over mandating background checks for private gun sales, and criticized the congressman for kowtowing to the National Rifle Association—particularly when it comes to automatic weapons.
“I’ve shot guns all my life,” the constituent said. “If somebody can’t hit somebody with six shots, then he’s a fucking idiot.”
Coffman—who reportedly tops the list of Colorado lawmakers who’ve taken the gun lobby’s money—pushed back at thecrowd, saying at one point that “the angriest voices show up, I get that.”
“I respect the views of the people here and it’s helpful to me, but often times it’s not the views of the totality of the district,” Coffman added.
In 2012, that same district saw gunman James Holmes open fire at an Aurora, CO, movie theater, killing 12 and injuring dozens more. In the aftermath of that massacre, a Coffman spokesman dismissed parents of those killed in the attack, saying “Mike respects their right to express their views, but doesn’t think more Washington, DC-dictated gun control will stop evil people from doing evil things.”