Beto O'Rourke reaffirms dark gun control plan — and says it won't be voluntary

Democratic presidential contender Beto O'Rourke reaffirmed his vision for gun control Sunday in the wake of another shooting tragedy in Texas that left seven people murdered and nearly two dozen others injured.

"What we've been saying, the rhetoric we've been using, the policies and practices and politics of this country has not been as urgent enough as needed. Doesn't meet this crisis," O'Rourke said on MSNBC.

"So let's speak clearly and bluntly and then take decisive action: Universal background checks, red flag laws, ending the sales of weapons of war, but also importantly, and politically difficult to say, buy those weapons of war back. Mandate that. Not voluntarily," O'Rourke continued

"Let's be really clear with our fellow Americans: [there is] no place for an AK-47 or an AR-15 on the streets of our communities," the former Texas congressman added.

During an earlier appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," O'Rourke dropped an f-bomb to emphasize his sense of urgency. But he also repeated several lies that are often invoked during the gun control debate, citing inflated numbers of gun violence and mass shootings.

O'Rourke began advocating mandatory gun buybacks last month, which critics argue is essentially gun confiscation veiled in softer rhetoric. O'Rourke would force owners of firearms like the AR-15 to turn over their rifle to the government or face a fine.