US lawmaker slammed for gun-toting Christmas tweet after school shooting | The Guardian Nigeria News

A US congressman is underneath fire for putting up a photo of his relatives smiling and keeping guns in front of a Christmas tree times after a lethal college taking pictures rocked the state.

Thomas Massie, a representative for the staunchly Republican condition of Kentucky, posted the image of himself and 6 customers of his family members, every single grinning and gripping a gun, on Saturday with the words and phrases “Merry Xmas! ps. Santa, be sure to provide ammo.”

The publish induced a swift outcry, with moms and dads of college taking pictures victims and fellow lawmakers accusing Massie of insensitivity days right after a teenager shot lifeless four fellow substantial university learners in Oxford, Michigan.

“Disgraceful,” wrote John Yarmuth, a Democratic congressman from Kentucky, stating these messages from professional-gun Republicans “openly rub the murder of small children in our faces like they scored a touchdown.”

Adam Kinzinger, a Republican congressman for Illinois, tweeted that he supported US gun legal rights, but “this is not supporting right to hold and bear arms, this is a gun fetish.”

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the United States’ deadliest-ever college taking pictures in Parkland, Florida in 2018, hit back again at Massie’s put up with one particular of his have.

“@RepThomasMassie, given that we are sharing family shots, below are mine,” he wrote. “One is the past photo that I ever took of Jaime, the other is wherever she is buried.”

Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was also killed in Parkland, was getting interviewed on CNN about gun manage as Massie’s put up was trending.

“That’s a massive portion of the dilemma,” he claimed just after currently being revealed the article. “This is also anything that really should teach us who we should elect and not.”

Massie garnered aid from other corners, with ideal-wing commentator Candace Owens tweeting to her almost 3 million followers: “Can somebody demonstrate to me how they worked out that the Michigan faculty shooting is (Massie’s) fault since he shared a picture of him and his family keeping authorized fireplace arms?”

Fifteen-calendar year-old Ethan Crumbley is billed with murder and terror fees over the Michigan taking pictures, when his mother and father, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are billed with involuntary manslaughter for supplying him with a gun and failing to heed a number of warning indicators ahead of the tragedy.

The Michigan assault, which renewed scrutiny over gun management and college safety, was the deadliest university taking pictures out of far more than 130 so much this year, in accordance to Everytown For Gun Basic safety, a group which keeps stats of mass shootings and lobbies for gun handle.