Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) says she's going to start carrying a gun after far-right activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah event.
Kirk's slaying rocked the nation on Wednesday and rattled Mace enough for her to decide to arm herself and obtain security, NBC News reported Thursday.
“I will have a firearm on my person all the time, and I will have security,” Mace told reporters outside the Capitol.
She's experienced an uptick in violent threats since a floor fight with a House Democrat where Mace offered "to take it outside," she said. She asked if she could have additional protection from the Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms.
After Kirk's slaying, Mace said she wants local police to patrol her office, too.
"People are scared to death in this building. I mean, not many of them will say it publicly, but they’re running to the speaker talking about security, and that’s a lot of Republicans in there. People are scared, really scared," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who two years ago threatened to punch a labor leader in the face, asked that Senators be given security while they're in their home states, Huffington Post political reporter Igor Bobic said on X. Mullin acknowledged it would likely necessitate a pilot program first.
The problem, NBC News said, is that threats against officials were already on the rise.
"By the end of this calendar year, the U.S. Capitol Police said it is on track to work through 14,000 threat assessment cases involving members, up from 9,000 last year," the report cited.
But it was only the assassination earlier this year that prompted security at the U.S. Capitol to act.
After leading Democrats in Minnesota were shot, with two killed, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said, “We had the first all-senators security briefing that I can recall in 13 years here."
The House Sergeant at Arms said that members could have funds for security, but that funding runs out at the end of the fiscal year, later this month, the report noted.
There have been numerous violent incidents involving lawmakers.
Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was nearly killed after she was shot in the head at an event back home in her district in 2011. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) was shot during practice for the congressional baseball game.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was attacked by his neighbor, and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was punched and grabbed by the neck while in an elevator.
Additionally, a man broke into the home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with plans to kidnap her. Instead, he brutally beat Pelosi's husband with a hammer.
President Donald Trump twice faced assassination attempts, even with U.S. Secret Service protection.