Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has received immense criticisms for posting a Christmas family photo on Twitter wherein he is holding a gun with his wife and children just days following the death of four teenagers due to the Michigan school shooting.
Massie also posted the photos with a caption addressed to Santa Claus to "bring ammo." His four kids and wife were snapped smiling while showing off different kinds of guns.
The tweet has since received over 11,000 shares and over 75,000 likes and responses as of press time. However, the parents whose children have died in school shootings could not let this pass.
Merry Christmas! 🎄
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021
ps. Santa, please bring ammo. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/NVawULhCNr
A 'Very Nasty' Post
Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son, Joaquin, was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, said that Massie is part of the problem of gun violence in America. Citing the tweet as distasteful and "very nasty," the father said that the Kentucky lawmaker's post should teach people who to elect or not to the office.
Here is @manueloliver00 - father of Parkland victim - reacting to GOP Rep. Massie's tweet of his family holding a bunch of guns right after another mass shooting in America: "the worst taste ever... a very nasty post." pic.twitter.com/8XQKFMjWzx
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) December 4, 2021
Fred Guttenberg, another father who lost a child in the Parkland school shooting, also blasted Massie on Twitter by sharing the last photo of his daughter, Jaime, buried on the ground as a result of the gun violence.
The Parkland school shooting has been one of the deadliest in the U.S., with eight students and two teachers dead. Per CNN, there have been 48 school shootings across the state for this year alone, with the latest planned by a 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley in Michigan that killed four students. Crumbley has been in custody and will be tried as an adult for acts of terrorism and murder. His parents have also been charged with involuntary manslaughter for gifting their son with a gun for Christmas.
Other lawmakers also called out Massie's post, including his fellow Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who said that his colleague's post is a "gun fetish" and not merely a support to the Second Amendment or the right to bear arms.
Not to Blame for School Shooting
After drawing strong reactions, Massie has not made a statement or taken down his Christmas family photo. However, he has been retweeting messages of support, including one from political pundit Candace Owens, who said it's wrong to suggest Massie is to blame for the Michigan school shooting just because of the photo.
This is not the first time the Kentucky representative has gotten criticisms for his stance on guns. Following the Capitol riot on January 6, Massie tweeted that he was glad to be armed while they were barricaded inside their offices. He also said that there is hope for America after the "not guilty" verdict of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people with his gun during the Kenosha unrest.
