Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett, during a Fox News appearance on Wednesday, suggested that expelling demons could be a way to cut back on mass shootings.
Bennett, who served as education secretary under President Ronald Reagan, weighed in on the function of “red flag” laws ― like those in Illinois ― that are designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.
The question comes just days after a mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park, Illinois, left seven people dead and dozens of others wounded.
Robert Crimo III, a 21-year-old who reportedly had threatened to kill people in September 2019, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.
Police took away 16 knives, a sword and dagger from Crimo in 2019 but did not find signs that he had guns, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesperson Christopher Covelli.
Bennett, during his Fox News appearance, said parents, schools and police officers are among the people who can “pay more attention” to potential red flags for mass violence. “But, you know, you may need an exorcist, too,” he suggested.
Bennett added that young men accused of mass shootings have “deeply spiritual problems.”
“It’s a deeply spiritual void, I think, that these young men have in their hearts and their souls, and I think it needs to be addressed,” Bennett said.
You can watch Bennett’s comments on exorcism below.