Parkland Victim's Father Arrested During U.S. House Hearing On Guns

WASHINGTON, DC — Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin was killed when a shooter opened fire at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, was briefly subdued and arrested Thursday after speaking out during a House committee meeting on federal government overreach regarding gun ownership, according to multiple reports.

Manuel Oliver and his wife, Patricia Oliver, were removed from the House oversight subcommittee after interrupting Chairman Pat Fallon by yelling an expletive and criticizing Republicans, ABC News reported.

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed to ABC News that Manuel Oliver was arrested, and Patricia Oliver told ABC News he was released several hours later.

Prior to Manuel Oliver's arrest, videos show Patricia Oliver yelling at lawmakers, "You took my son away from me, and I'm not going anywhere! I'm going to listen to your absurd things," according to The Washington Post.

As police escorted Manuel Oliver from the room, he yelled: "All of you are full of s---!"

Video of the arrest taken by ABC News shows Capitol police officers restraining Manuel Oliver on the floor while Patricia Oliver says, "We are using our First Amendment."

As Manuel Oliver is led away in handcuffs, a crowd of bystanders chant, "He's not violent! He's not violent!"

A U.S. Capitol Police spokesman told The Washington Post a man was arrested in the Rayburn building around noon for crowding, obstructing, or incommoding "after he disrupted a hearing, refused to stop shouting, and then attempted to go back inside the hearing room."

In an interview with the Post on Thursday, Manuel Oliver said he did not try to re-enter the hearing room.

"You can ask me anything, but don't ask me to stop talking about my son," Manuel Oliver said. "I refuse to go back to my life because it will never be the same, and just pretend that this is not bothering me."

The Olivers were in DC to push for gun laws as the Florida House moved to vote Friday on a bill that would allow Floridians to carry a concealed weapon in public without a license or training. The legislation would eliminate the carry concealed training class people must take to get a concealed carry permit and also wipe out a FDLE background check required for the permit, Bay News9 reported.

Parkland survivor David Hogg said the bill — which Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he will sign — will strike down changes legislators made after the school shooting.

“They lied to those students, they’re breaking those promises and they’re endangering the lives of our children in the state,” Hogg said.