Paul Ryan: 'Too soon to say' whether shooting an act of terrorism

By Ariel Cohen, Ariel Cohen

Published December 20, 2015

House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said on Thursday that the United States it was too soon to say whether the mass shooting in San Bernadino, Calif., was an act of terrorism.

He argued that the proper response to mass shootings is to overhaul the nation's mental health system rather than changing gun laws.

"If your stomach isn't turned when you see these acts of violence on TV, there's something wrong with you," Ryan said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday. "The question is, can we address these issues without violating a citizen's rights?"

Ryan said that many different factors should need to be examined, such as mental illness and gun safety as well as the possibility of home grown terrorism. But he conceded that it's "too soon to say" whether the shooting wasn't an act of Islamic terrorism.