Representative Lee Zeldin’s political career reflects decades of preparation, alliances with more powerful Republicans and a hard-right embrace of former President Donald J. Trump.
The shooting of two teenagers directly outside his Long Island home has given Mr. Zeldin an opportunity to push his tough-on-crime message within a personal frame.
Suffolk County on Long Island aggressively uses the law to take guns from people in crisis in an effort to prevent shootings and suicides. Its experience could inform the national debate.