UMVA has learned that a fiery showdown erupted on the Minnesota House floor, where Democratic lawmakers erupted in a chaotic sit‑in to force a vote on a sweeping gun‑control proposal.
The chamber was deadlocked 67‑67 on a procedural motion to bring the Senate‑passed omnibus bill, House File 5140, up for debate. Frustrated Democrats refused to vacate the floor, chaining themselves to their seats and demanding an immediate vote on what they called the nation’s most aggressive gun‑control package.
Amid the turmoil, Rep. Aisha Gomez shouted at Republican Rep. Elliott Engen, urging him to “go f‑cking shoot yourself.” The incendiary outburst echoed through the chamber, igniting a wave of heated accusations and a palpable sense of crisis.
Republican Rep. Drew Roach responded in a stark public statement, condemning the episode as “deranged, toxic, and downright dangerous.” He warned that such behavior undermined civil discourse and threatened the rights of law‑abiding citizens.
Engen later posted a terse reply, confirming the verbal assault and noting, “Can confirm. Didn’t have multiple Democrat colleagues yelling at me to ‘go f‑cking shoot myself’ on my bingo card.” The terse message underscored the deepening rift between the parties.
The contested legislation, HF5140, would ban the ownership, possession, and sale of semi‑automatic “military‑style assault weapons,” prohibit magazines holding more than 17 rounds, and criminalize the manufacture of untraceable “ghost guns.” It also seeks to reenact the ban on binary triggers, expand the state’s extreme‑risk protection order law, tighten storage rules for firearms in schools, and alter reporting requirements for law‑enforcement gun discharges.
Republicans argue the bill criminalizes lawful gun ownership while doing little to curb criminals who already flout existing laws. They contend that the measures would strip constitutional rights from responsible Minnesotans without delivering meaningful public safety gains.
As of now, no formal statements have emerged from House Democratic leadership or the former speaker regarding the heated episode, leaving the chamber’s future direction shrouded in uncertainty.
