#TexasShooting: Latest US mass shooting reignites debate online

A shooting in a rural Texas church Sunday left 26 dead, and reignited debates around gun control in the US.

Among the dead were several children, including the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. A woman in her eighth month of pregnancy was also killed.

According to The New York Times, the gunman has been revealed as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, who had served in the US Air Force before being dishonorably discharged after assaulting his wife and child.

Kelley was later found dead in his vehicle. Officials are as yet unsure of how he died.

This shooting comes a little over a month after the US’s worst mass shooting in modern history that saw 58 dead and over 500 wounded in Las Vegas.

As has become protocol after US mass shootings, many have taken to Twitter to demand stricter gun control, while others claim that laws would not protect civilians.

“Waiting for Trump to declare a change in policy like he did after NYC attack,” wrote one user, referring to US President Donald Trump’s tweets calling for a change to a visa lottery that allowed the suspected perpetrator to enter the country.

Instead, the president posted about how he was “monitoring the situation from Japan”.

Hours later, Trump posted a video in which he called the shooting an “act of evil”.

“My administration will provide full support to the great state of Texas and all local authorities investigating this awful crime,” he said. “All of America is praying to God to help the wounded and the families of the victims.”

He offered no policy solution, be it gun control or otherwise.

The issue has proven of interest to South Africans, with both “Texas” and #TexasShooting trending nationwide Monday morning.

Featured image: Matt Turner via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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