VIDEO Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Talks Tough About Gun Control ... in Other States

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal made an appearance on Sunday’s episode of “Face the Nation” and somewhat surprisingly departed from the GOP script on gun control by recommending stricter gun control standards in other states besides his own.

Let’s review: Lafayette. Louisiana was the site of Thursday’s deadly shooting during a screening of “Trainwreck” in a local movie theater. Three people died in the attack, including gunman John Houser, who had a history of mental illness and domestic violence, and nine others were wounded.

As The New York Times outlined following Jindal’s interview on the CBS news show, Jindal deflected the need to crack down in his own state by pointing to the place where Houser bought his gun as well as to the mental illness factor: 

“I think every state should strengthen their laws,” he said. “Every state should make sure this information is being reported in the background system. We need to make sure that background system is working. Absolutely, in this instance, this man never should have been able to buy a gun.”

Officials have said [Houser], of Phenix City, Ala., legally bought the murder weapon there in 2014, although he had been denied a state-issued concealed weapons permit in 2006 because he was accused of domestic violence and soliciting arson. His family repeatedly described him as violent and mentally ill, and questions about his mental health had been raised for decades. In 2008, his family had him involuntarily committed to a hospital in Georgia to receive psychiatric care.

Mr. Jindal insisted that Louisiana laws would have prevented Mr. Houser from buying a gun.

“In Louisiana, we toughened our laws a couple of years ago,” Mr. Jindal said. “If he had been involuntarily committed here, if he had tried to buy that gun here, he wouldn’t have been allowed to do that.”

He added: “Look, every time this happens, it seems like the person has a history of mental illness. We need to make sure the systems we have in place actually work.”

The paper also made note of Jindal’s “A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association.”

Watch Jindal offer his take below (via CBS News):

—Posted by Kasia Anderson

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