Parents demand Kemp return funds from school shooting gun manufacturer

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - Gov. Brian Kemp is under fire for his connection to the manufacturer of the gun used in last month’s mass murder at a school in Uvalde, Texas.

Joined by members of the Democratic Party of Georgia Thursday, a group of parents gathered at Ormond-Grant Park to call on the Republican governor to return the more than $50,000 they say his campaign received from Daniel Defense and its CEO. Daniel Defense in southeast Georgia is the manufacturer of the gun that the 18-year-old shooter used to kill 19 children and two teachers.

The group denounced Kemp’s signing of Georgia’s new law that allows lawful weapons carriers to carry a concealed handgun without first having to get a weapons license from the state.

“Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m living in the wrong state to raise children,” said Valerie Calhoun, an Atlanta mother.

“Looser laws around carrying a loaded concealed firearm, that only increases the chances that people will for whatever reason be able to harm other people, other families,” said Christina Grange, a mother and psychologist.

Meanwhile, the Kemp campaign released a statement blasting his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams, calling on her to resign from the governing board of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

The Kemp campaign called the group “radical” for posting a message that included the message “defund the police” in a March Twitter post.

The group has paid Abrams at least $52,000 dollars to date, according to financial disclosures, the Kemp campaign says.

CBS46 reached out to both campaigns but did not immediately receive responses from either.

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