For the second time in less than a week, a U.S. mass shooting is dominating headlines after a gunman opened fire in a Boulder, Colorado grocery store. During the Monday afternoon attack, ten people (including one police officer) were killed at a local King Sooper’s store. CNN reports that a suspect is in custody, although his identity has not been revealed by authorities. According to USA Today, he was the only person “to receive non-fatal injuries” in the incident, and “[t]he man, wearing shorts but no shirt or shoes, was taken away by ambulance.”
The attack took place around 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time, and a handful of hours later, the National Rifle Association decided to, uh, add some shaded commentary. It’s not a good look, either, given that the organization tweeted out the Second Amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. pic.twitter.com/eFBP2PTTUu
— NRA (@NRA) March 23, 2021
Is this a failure or a refusal to read the room? Social media feels like it’s the latter.
https://twitter.com/steveportigal/status/1374152744030801927
https://twitter.com/isabelrose00/status/1374153108960415744
Hey, fuck you. My sister and brother in law shop at that grocery store 3x a week. Their child is 18 months old. Fuck you.
— Swishergirl (@Swishergirl24) March 23, 2021
Um, @NRA, you should turn on the news.
— Amy Woolwine (@awoolwine21) March 23, 2021
Beyond that, it’s sadly obvious that the NRA has either completely ignored or misunderstood the words “well regulated.”
https://twitter.com/RunnerMark71/status/1374152369299206147
https://twitter.com/AdairBlackmore/status/1374152002167566356
https://twitter.com/RPG_volley/status/1374153305941803008
What well regulated militia was the Boulder shooter a member of.
Go ahead, I'll wait.
— Black Cheeseberder #MDANT (@BlackCheesebur1) March 23, 2021
“We saw a well-regulated militia on Jan 6th,” tweeted user Susan Sewing. “No thank you. I’ll continue to support any efforts to further amend the existing Constitutional amendment that grants the right to bear arms, until senseless mass shootings and gun violence aren’t considered a necessary by-product.”
We saw a well-regulated militia on Jan 6th.
No thank you.
I'll continue to support any efforts to further amend the existing Constitutional amendment that grants the right to bear arms, until senseless mass shootings and gun violence aren't considered a necessary by-product.
— Susan Jeffery (@SusanSewing) March 23, 2021
Then there’s the question of what the Founding Fathers would think of an endless cascade of mass shootings while a powerful organization continues to defend the purchase of assault rifles by civilians. Your move, Congress.
https://twitter.com/DanWhitCongress/status/1374152587642077186