Matt Gaetz claims 'no mass shootings' when automatic weapons and cannons were legal

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) claimed on Monday that there had been "no mass shootings" in the era when automatic weapons were legal.

Following a Louisville, Kentucky bank shooting that left at least four people dead, Gaetz acknowledged the grief that was being felt in the city.

"This morning, we were made aware yet again of another shooting, this time at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky," Gaetz said on his Firebrand podcast. "We, of course want to take time to mourn the loss of innocent life, but we should not wait in acting to prevent these frequent aggressive acts from happening in the future."

But Gaetz suggested that criminalizing weapons was part of the problem.

"Your grandparents used to be able to order mail-order automatic weapons, and when the Second Amendment was written, the American people, such as they were, could own cannons. No mass shootings back then," he said.

The National Firearms Act outlawing automatic weapons was enacted in 1934 due to an increase in gang crime, including mass shootings.

Watch the video below.