NRA Spox, Sheriff Clash During Gun Town Hall

Sheriff Scott Israel, NRA Spox Dana Loesch

The National Rifle Association spokeswoman, Dana Loesch, took some heat at CNN's town-hall event on gun violence Wednesday night, which featured impassioned dialogue between students, parents, educators, and politicians.

Loesch is also a syndicated radio host and TV pundit.

BusinessInsider reports the discussion at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, had been heated from the start, but seemed to hit a fever pitch once Loesch argued on behalf of the NRA.

Emma Gonzalez, one of the most vocal survivors of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, asked Loesch whether she believes it should be more difficult for people to obtain semi-automatic weapons and modifications like bump stocks that can mimic fully automatic weapons.

"I don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm, ever" Loesch said, referring to the 19-year-old Parkland gunman Nikolas Cruz. "I do not think that he should have gotten his hands on any kind of weapon."

"This individual was nuts, and I — nor the millions of people that I represent as a part of this organization that I'm here speaking for — none of us support people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are a danger to others, getting their hands on a firearm," Loesch said.

The NRA spokeswoman insisted that she is fighting for survivors like Gonzalez, so they won't have to "be in this position again."

That comment apparently did not sit well with some of the attendees, including Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who challenged Loesch on the assertion: "You're not standing up for them until you say, 'I want less weapons,'" Israel said, amid raucous cheering and applause.