After yet another mass shooting, a provocative tweet by the NRA went out in an hour.
The gun-rights organisation, which repeatedly lobby against any significant gun controls measures, posted: “The only reason you’re celebrating Independence Day is because citizens were armed. #FourthofJuly.”
This is a reference to Revolutionary War, which saw the US freed from Great Britain. However, back then people were armed with semi-automatic war …)weapons of war.
A gunman opened fire just hours after the tweet was sent. The attack targeted a July 4 parade that was passing through the Highland Park neighborhood of Chicago.
One person replied: “Eh, there’s quite a few people not celebrating Independence Day today. Because of armed citizens. You absolute ghouls.”
An additional: “Tell that to the residents of Highland Park you f***ing ghouls. 6 dead and 24 wounded at a 4th of July parade filled with families, moments after this shitpost went live.”
The third was: “The only reason Highland Park will be burying its dead is because citizens are armed with weapons of war that should be illegal.”
Six people were killed and 24 others were injured in the shooting. A manhunt is underway for the gunman, who allegedly opened fire from the roof above the celebrations.
Around 10 minutes after the Independence Day festivities began at 10 am on Monday, the Highland Park Fourth of July parade was started, gunfire erupted..
Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill told a news conference just before 2pm that the suspect was a white male 18-20 years old, with long black hair, small build, and wearing a white or blue t-shirt.
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