A Kentucky congressman caused widespread outrage after the Republican posted a Christmas photo that showed him and seven members of his family brandishing large assault rifles, just days after a high school massacre in Michigan.
Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted the photo of him, his wife and their five kids hoisting assault rifles in front of a Christmas tree on Saturday.
'Merry Christmas!,' Massie captioned the photo, alongside a Christmas tree emoji.
'PS. (SIC) Santa, please bring ammo,' he added, followed by a gift emoji.
Massie's photo, which accrued 31.4K likes, 4,826 retweets and 17.7K quote tweets within five hours of being posted, was criticized as being particularly tone deaf in the wake of yet another deadly high-profile school shooting, where four students were killed and seven people were injured, including a teacher.
Pictured: the Christmas photo in question, showing Massie and his family armed with assault rifles in front of a Christmas tree
'Merry Christmas!,' Massie captioned the photo on Twitter, alongside a Christmas tree emoji, pictured. 'PS. (SIC) Santa, please bring ammo,' he added, followed by a gift emoji
The school shooting on Tuesday at Oxford High School was allegedly carried out by 15-year-old student Ethan Crumbley, whose parents James and Jennifer Crumbley were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Saturday after giving him access to a gun.
Shortly after Massie posted the provocative photo, the father of a Parkland, Florida school shooting victim made and appearance on CNN to discuss the Oxford tragedy.
Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin 'Guac' Oliver was one of 17 students and faculty members murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018, spoke about Massie's photo and the insensitivity of it at a time where gun-related tragedies have become a regular occurrence.
'That’s a huge part of the problem,' Oliver said of Massie's photo.
'Someone elected leaders like this one that think that — I don't know if they're trying to be ironic, funny, or what — but it's the worst taste ever. ... It's a very nasty post.'
'Since we are sharing family photos, here are mine. (This) is last photo that I ever took of Jaime, the other is where she is buried
