We don’t yet know the identity of America’s newest mass shooter, and I naively wish it’d remain that way, but already right-wing gun enthusiasts have jumped onto Twitter to defend their beloved killing machines from the all-too-familiar widespread calls for increased gun control on the social media site.
A 20-year-old man opened fire at a small community college in Roseburg, Oregon, killing up to 13 people before finally being shot and killed by police today.
The familiar conservative faces on Twitter rushed to denounce what they called attempts to “politicize the tragedy” — their standard reply to stifle talk of gun control following these mass shootings:
I don't believe it's appropriate to talk about gun control or gun free zones right now
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) October 1, 2015
I’d appreciate if some of you ghouls in my timeline would chill a bit before rushing to politicize and point fingers at anyone but suspect.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) October 1, 2015
Oh. So Oregon already had the "common sense" gun laws the White House is pushing before the bodies are cold? https://t.co/OJSDv2j2u0
— RBe (@RBPundit) October 1, 2015
There was also the standard “false flag” nonsense:
And of course, the sick push for more guns:
You can whine about #uccshooting victims, or learn how not to be one.
I'm going back to the range, right now. pic.twitter.com/aKg0uVZRmd
— Bob Owens (@bob_owens) October 1, 2015
Water pistols and paint guns are banned at Umpqua Community College. https://t.co/5B2Vg620r5
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 1, 2015
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson echoed Twitter conservatives, reacting to the shooting on right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt’s program today by denying that gun control could help to prevent such an incident.
“Obviously, there are those who are going to be calling for gun control,” Carson said. “Obviously, that’s not the issue. The issue is the mentality of these people.” He argued that instead of focusing on guns, “early warning clues” should be heeded by people closer to the shooter in order to prevent such shootings:
