Republican AR-15 pins slammed after school shooting in Nashville

In the wake of the mass shooting at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, some House Republicans have scowled at having previously worn pins shaped like an assault rifle.

On Monday, three children and three adults were fatally shot at Covenant School, a private Christian school that educates preschoolers through sixth grade. The victims have been identified as 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, as well as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was armed with two assault rifles and a handgun. Hale was killed after conspiring with the police to respond to the siege.

Monday’s shooting – which marks the 129th mass shooting of this year – has reignited outrage over some GOP members of the House, who were seen wearing assault rifle-style pins on the House floor. Georgie’s representative, Andrew Clyde, took note of the pins via Twitter in February and said he distributed the pins “to remind people of the Second Amendment to the Constitution and how important it is in upholding our freedoms”. Representatives George Santos of New York and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida were also spotted wearing the pin.

Interviewed by MSNBC host Chris Jansing, former prosecutor and legal analyst Charles Coleman shouted out the attack-style pins while also criticizing the GOP lawmakers’ approach to mass shootings.

“I’m politicizing it just like the members of the House of Representatives who decided it was a good idea to wear AR-15 pins and walk around Congress like these things aren’t happening,” Coleman said. “Where are you right now? What will her statement be? Because we don’t need another round of thoughts and prayers.”

Calling for more tangible reform in the wake of the school shooting, the former prosecutor added, “House members who have decided it’s a good idea to wear AR-15 pins and walk around Congress…where are they now?” What will be? Your testimony?” pic.twitter.com/ihZKrE5N9V

– MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 27, 2023

Twitter user JenniferHayden specifically pointed the finger at Clyde after a Video beginning in February, when the congressman first received the pins.

“Is not he cute? He thinks it’s funny “triggering” Democrats with these AR-15 pins that he hands out to fellow congressmen who sit on their hands while kids get murdered with guns in their classrooms,” Hayden wrote.

Rich Campbell also tweeted, “Remember: Republicans in Congress wear AR-15 pins.”

“These MFers don’t care about children – dead or alive,” the user added.

Clyde had not publicly addressed the Nashville shooting as of Monday night. news week emailed its press team for comment.

President Joe Biden repeatedly called on Congress to pass his assault weapons ban following the Covenant School shooting while hosting the Women’s Business Summit at the White House on Monday.

“It is time we began to make further strides,” the president said, while also extending his “concern and heart out” to parents and families affected by gun violence.

According to the nonprofit research organization Everytown for Gun Safety, mass shootings with assault weapons account for 25 percent of all mass shooting deaths and 76 percent of all mass shooting injuries in the United States as of February 28, 2022.

news week also reached out to the NRA for comment through their website portal.