Dad of a Parkland victim blasts GOP lawmaker who shared a Christmas photo of his family smiling with guns and asking Santa to 'please bring ammo'
Bryan Woolston/Getty Images
- Rep. Thomas Massie posted a holiday photo of his family posing with guns, asking Santa for ammunition.
- The father of a Parkland victim called it a "very nasty post" and said it was "part of the problem."
- On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire at a high school in Michigan, killing four students.
The father of a victim in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, criticized Republican Rep. Thomas Massie over a pro-gun photo he posted just days after a school shooting in Michigan.
Massie, who is from Kentucky, tweeted a photo that showed him and his family smiling and posing with guns in front of a Christmas tree. Alongside the photo Massie wrote "Merry Christmas!" and "ps. Santa, please bring ammo."
—Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 4, 2021
He posted the photo days after a shooting at Oxford High School north of Detroit left four students dead and several others injured, renewing concerns over gun violence and school safety.
Manuel Oliver appeared on CNN Saturday to talk about his desire to meet with President Joe Biden about promises he made on gun control. His 17-year-old son, Joaquin, was one of the 17 killed when a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland.
CNN host Jim Acosta asked Oliver about Massie's tweet, as it was trending on social media during the interview.
"That's a huge part of the problem," Oliver said. "I don't know if they're trying to be ironic, funny, or what, but it's the worst taste ever."
He also said it was a "very nasty post" and is "something that should teach us who should we elect, and not."
—Jim Acosta (@Acosta) December 4, 2021
Oliver and his wife started the Change The Ref, a nonprofit organization aimed at empowering students to ignite change on critical issues.
Massie's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.