California Governor Gavin Newsom was criticized online after linking the recent murder of eight children by their relative to a lack of proper gun control laws. This sparked outrage among some people online, who believed the governor of California was trying to “politicize” a tragedy.
The politician’s views on firearm regulation were widely shared and criticized by right-wing accounts on X, such as Libs of TikTok and Dom Lucre.
According to reports, the crime occurred over the weekend, when a man killed eight children aged 3 to 11, including three boys and five girls. Police identified the shooter as Shamar Elkins and disclosed that seven of the eight children were his; the one who wasn’t was a cousin. The man’s wife and a woman believed to be his girlfriend were also shot during the incident.
Speaking about the tragedy, Newsom said, “This is a moral failure. It’s preventable.” He then asked, “How many more kids have to be killed before the National Rifle Association (NRA) stops paying off politicians?” likely alluding to the difficulty of passing gun control laws in the United States.
California Governor Under Fire For Criticizing NRA
The California governor’s criticism of the NRA sparked anger online, as many believed that blaming the tragedy on a lack of gun control was wrong: “The shooter was already a convicted felon, meaning he could not legally own firearms. The gun he used to kill his children was already illegal, suggesting that existing gun control measures failed,” one user argued.
Another user claimed, “People, not guns, kill, Governor.” Others lashed out at the government in general, saying, “Why haven’t they apprehended him? This just shows how much the government cares about us.”
Some people even accused Newsom of “politicizing” the event, saying, “Newsom is just trying to push his liberal agenda and ignore the real issues in his own state.” A seemingly angry Republican voter also criticized the governor, saying, “Democrats love criminals and will always defend them; this is confirmed by their actions.” Others expressed frustration, asking, “How long until liberals realize that they will never get our guns?”
Incidents like this often spark conversations about gun control in the United States, and this reaction highlights how divided public opinion is on the issue.
