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Tim Walz is facing backlash after saying he “became friends with school shooters” during the vice presidential debate.

The father of a victim in the 2018 Parkland shooting was among those who called out the Democrat, calling the apparent gaffe “absolutely disgusting” in a post on X.

The comment came as the vice presidential candidate was asked Tuesday night about his changing stance on an assault weapons ban. His response, which appeared to be a gaffe, stunned viewers and led to a now-viral clip on social media.

When CBS News anchor Norah O’Donell asked why his position had changed over the years from opposing an assault weapons ban to supporting it, Walz replied: “I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I became friends with school shooters.”

“I was the NRA guy for a long time,” he continued without correcting himself. “They used to be taught gun safety. I’m at the age where I kept my shotgun in my car so I could hunt pheasants after soccer practice. This is not the place we live in today.”

Andrew Pollack, the father of Meadow — one of 17 people fatally shot in the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting — responded to the clip: “My daughter was killed in the Parkland school shooting. It is absolutely despicable that Tim Walz became friends with school shooters. Disqualifying.”

Tesla CEO and Trump supporter Elon Musk also agreed: “Stunning that Tim Walz said he was ‘friends with school shooters.'” Musk added a clown at the end of his tweet, which has already been viewed around two million times -Emoji added.

However, Moms Demand Action co-founder Shannon Watts attempted to correct Walz’s misunderstanding.

“I have had the honor of knowing Governor Tim Walz for years and have had a front-row seat to his compassion and courage on the issue of gun safety. Not only did he listen to the @MomsDemand volunteers he met with – he remained committed to making Minnesota safer,” she wrote on X.

Watts also pointed out his comment Minneapolis Star Tribune shortly after the Parkland shooting, in which he called the NRA “the single biggest obstacle to passing the most basic policies to prevent gun violence in America.”

“As governor, Walz did what others thought was impossible – he passed common-sense gun laws despite a narrow majority on gun safety, thanks to his integrity, commitment and incredible leadership,” Watts continued. “Countless lives have been saved in Minnesota, and I know he will do the same as vice president.”

And Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter also tragically died in the Parkland shooting, offered his support to Walz, emphasizing that his comment was clearly a faux pas.

He wrote on , people like me. If this level of distortion is all they have from last night, then Tim JD has screwed his ass.”

The Independent has reached out to the Harris Walz campaign for comment.

Both Harris and Walz are gun owners and have sought to add nuance to Democrats’ response to the gun violence epidemic. Both have emphasized that Democrats are trying to strip Americans of Second Amendment rights but are focused on finding a solution to the gun violence crisis.