Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was governor of the state at the time of the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, said Tuesday he has figurative "scar tissue" as a result of gun violence.

"I'm a gun owner; I'm a strong Second Amendment supporter, but I've got a lot of scar tissue," Kaine said. "When I was governor of Virginia, there was a horrible shooting at Virginia Tech and we learned that, though that painful situation, that gaps in the background system should have been closed and it could have prevented that crime."

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While Kaine intended to make a point about the gun control laws he and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would seek implement if they succeed in November, it was the "scar tissue" gaffe that earned the Virginia senator scorn on social media Tuesday night.

It is important to note that Virginia Tech shooting survivor Lily Habtu, who was shot in the face during the rampage that left 32 people dead, was a guest Kaine invited to the vice presidential face-off, the New York Daily News reported.

In the years since the tragic shooting, Habtu has become a staunch advocate for stricter gun laws.

Kaine often talks about the massacre on the campaign trail, frequently telling rally-goers that the shooting still impacts him.

"It was the worst day of so many people’s lives — and for the parents and the loved ones of those kids and professors — that pain never goes away," he recently said during a campaign stop in Florida.

See the senator's comments below:

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