In Wake of Massacre, Perry To Tour Gun Factory

In a concerted effort to become a caricature of himself, Rick Perry has decided that the best way to respond to yesterday’s mass shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. is with a visit to—surprise!—a gun factory.

As Newtown activists are planning to descend upon the capitol Wednesday to lobby for stronger gun control laws, Perry will be touring the Beretta USA facility in Accokeek, Maryland, according to CNN. It’s the largest gun manufacturing facility in the state, and the Texas Governor’s visit is both a (largely unnecessary) reminder that he’s still pro-gun, as well as part of a larger effort to convince businesses to relocate to the Lonestar State.

Earlier this year, Perry unsuccessfully lobbied Beretta to move from Maryland to Texas after Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed a ban on assault weapons. Around the same time, he ran a radio ad in California touting his state’s “low taxes, sensible regulations, and fair legal system,” and urged business owners to “come check out Texas” (when asked to respond, California Governor Jerry Brown said the $26,000 ad buy amounted to “barely a fart” on the airwaves).

On Monday, ex-Navy reserve Aaron Alexis stormed the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. and open-fired with a shotgun, killing 12 people and injuring even more before being killed himself in a shootout with police. The tragedy invigorated gun control advocates, including some Democrats in the Senate, to once again push for stronger gun regulations after a similar effort in the wake of Newtown failed.

“This is one more event to add to the litany of massacres that occur when a deranged person or grievance killer is able to obtain multiple weapons,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein. “When will enough be enough?”

Earlier this summer, Perry visited gun manufacturers in Connecticut in a similar attempt to boost the amount of guns manufactured in Texas.