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Florida shooting survivor confronts Marco Rubio on NRA donations: Watch

A father in the crowd also told Rubio his comments are 'pathetically weak.'
(Photo: Getty Images)

Survivors of the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., took center stage Wednesday during a CNN town hall where they demanded action on gun control from lawmakers and the NRA.

Florida Senators Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson, and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., answered questions from students, parents and teachers about their stance on gun control. Throughout the town hall, Rubio, the only Republican on the panel, found himself answering tough questions on gun control and NRA funding.

Cameron Kasky, a junior who survived the massacre that resulting in the death of 17 people, asked Rubio to turn down NRA money.

"Sen. Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?" he asked.

Watch the moment HERE:

Rubio reiterated that he supports the Second Amendment and that his view has not changed since taking office. He said he does not believe the NRA influences gun policy.

"The influence of these groups comes not from money," Rubio said. "The influence comes from the millions of people that agree with the agenda, the millions of Americans that support the NRA."

Both President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott turned down CNN's invitations to participate.

"With only two weeks left of our annual legislative session, Governor Rick Scott will be in Tallahassee meeting with state leaders to work on ways to keep Florida students safe, including school safety improvements and keeping guns away from individuals struggling with mental illness," a spokesperson for the governor previously told CNN.

Rubio was also confronted at one point during the meeting by Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime Guttenberg was killed.

Guttenberg told Rubio that his comments about the shooting “and those of your president this week have been pathetically weak.”

Watch the moment HERE:

People stood up and cheered Guttenberg as he challenged Rubio to tell him the truth, to acknowledge that “guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids.”

Rubio responded that the problems laid bare by the shooting rampage “cannot be solved by gun laws alone,” drawing jeering whistles from the crowd. Rubio responded that he would support laws barring those 18 and under from buying such weapons, support changing the background checks system and getting rid of bump stocks.

He said that if he believed an assault weapons ban “would have prevented this from happening, I would have supported it.” That drew jeers. Visibly angry, Guttenberg responded: “That is a weapon of war.”

You can watch the entire CNN town hall HERE:

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Contributing: Mike James, Mary Bowerman, AP

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