Donald Trump Jr criticized for ‘tasteless’ Facebook post suggesting Uvalde shooter may have killed 21 people with bats

Donald Trump Jr has been criticized for making a “tasteless” rant when he suggested that mass gunman Uvalde Salvdor Ramos may have murdered 21 of his victims with a “bat”.

The son of former president Donald Trump posted a rambling video on his Facebook page on Saturday where he argued that last week’s massacre could have happened with any other weapon.

He angrily talks about people saying “it’s the gun, not the killer holding it”.

“If it weren’t for the gun, this boy would be a decent, reasonable man, he would be a wonderful human being, wouldn’t he?” he asks.

“Won’t he do the same with a bat, a bomb, or some kind of improvised device – or a machete?”

Mr Trump Jr’s remarks came amid an uproar about how an 18-year-old could legally walk into a store and buy two AR-15 rifles and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition without causing any harm. any alarm bells in the state of Texas.

During the downing, he lamented that guns would be blamed for the mass shooting that left 19 young children and two teachers dead.

“They will blame the guns, they will blame everything because no one can be held accountable for their actions,” he said.

“No one can admit someone is really a piece of trash and twisted. We can’t have that, that sucks! ”

While seeking to defend gun availability, Mr Trump Jr instead blamed the mass shooting on a “drug mother”, “missing father”, “education program”. in school” and “crazy teacher”.

He claimed that there was “no accountability” and that people could not speak out about the real cause of the massacre.

“We’re really not allowed to say anything about it. We all know if you actually see something and say something, you get labeled, you’re obstinate, ‘I can’t believe you do that’, maybe you’ve misunderstood the person. there,” he said.

“They will go after you for a hate crime, you will be sued for making it clear. You really aren’t allowed to say something, you have to but we all know how it really works. “

Social media users took notice of his comments, calling them “stupid” and “tasteless”.

“In an astonishing display of stupidity, Donald Trump Jr furiously shouted that the Uvalde killer could have killed his victims with a ‘bat,’” one person tweeted.

Another said: “Is Donald Trump Jr. deceived or does he really believe his own wild word about the Uvalde, Texas shootings?”

Meanwhile, one person simply tweeted: “Let’s bring Jr’s gun first.”

His comments come 16 years after Buckingham Palace was forced to apologize when Prince Philip tried to make the same argument in the aftermath of the Dunblane massacre.

In 1996, 16 children and a teacher were shot dead by a gunman at Dunblane Primary School, Scotland.

The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year, compared the ban on handguns to a ban on bats.

“For example, if a cricketer, suddenly decides to go into a school and beat a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he can do very easily, I mean are you going to ban cricket bats? are not?” he asks.

His comments drew fierce criticism from the victims’ families and the Palace issued an apology saying he did not intentionally cause “insult or suffering”.

After the Dunblane massacre, the UK enacted stricter gun laws, including a ban on owning handguns.

There hasn’t been a single school shooting in the UK since then.

Last year, Governor Greg Abbott relaxed gun laws even further in the Lone Star State, allowing most Texans to carry handguns in public without any training or permits.

Long guns, such as those used in last week’s attack, can already be carried without a permit.

Ramos legally purchased two AR-15 rifles and 1,657 rounds in the days following his 18th birthday on May 16.

On May 24, he then shot his grandmother in the face before driving towards Robb Elementary in the family van.

He left his car in a ditch near the school and entered the building through an open door.

Once inside, Ramos barricaded himself in a classroom, where he shot dead 19 students and two teachers.

He was eventually shot dead by Border Patrol agents after officials stormed the classroom.

Mr. Abbott – and other Republicans – were criticized for lax state regulations in the wake of the shooting.

Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke confronted him at a press conference Wednesday telling him the massacre was “completely predictable” after the state refused to carry it out. gun control laws.

The governor was then met with boos and taunts Sunday as he joined President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the memorial outside Robb Elementary as calls for the United States to continue. continue to step up implementation of larger gun reform measures.

Meanwhile, questions are also being raised about the handling of the mass shooting after local officials admitted that serious mistakes had been made.

Staff at the scene were thwarted, taking 77 minutes to enter the fenced-in classroom as gunfire continued and desperate children trapped inside called 911 for help.

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into what happened.