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GOP Lawmaker Reacts to Manhunt: 'I Wonder How Many Boston Liberals Spent the Night Cowering…Wishing They Had an AR-15′

by Jason Howerton

Rep. Nate Bell, R-Mena, center, walks down the aisle of the House chamber at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., before presenting a senate bill Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, that would permit concealed carry of guns in places of worship. The bill passed Monday. Credit: AP

As the massive manhunt for the second suspect in the Boston bombings was underway, Republican Arkansas state Rep. Nate Bell linked the ongoing situation to the gun control debate.

"I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a high-capacity magazine?" he tweeted. He included the hashtag #2A, for Second Amendment.

"I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a high-capacity magazine?"

(Twitter)

However, later on Friday he apologized for his tweet on Facebook:

I would like to apologize to the people of Boston & Massachusetts for the poor timing of my tweet earlier this morning. As a staunch and unwavering supporter of the individual right to self defense, I expressed my point of view without thinking of its effect on those still in time of crisis. In hindsight, given the ongoing tragedy that is still unfolding, I regret the poor choice of timing. Please know that my thoughts and prayers were with the people of Boston overnight and will continue as they recover from this tragedy.

As of Friday afternoon, authorities were still scouring the Boston area for Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19. His brother, identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the other bombing suspect, was killed in a confrontation with police in Watertown, Mass. on Friday.

Follow TheBlaze's continuing coverage of the manhunt here.

(H/T: Meenal Vamburkar, Mediaite)