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Rep. Andy Ogles represents the Nashville district where a school shooting happened on Monday.
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He offered his “thoughts and prayers” to families of the victims.
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In 2021, he posted a Christmas message with a photo of his family holding guns.
A Tennessee lawmaker who on Monday offered his “thoughts and prayers” to families of the victims of a deadly school shooting in his district sent out a 2021 Christmas message featuring a photo of his gun-toting family.
Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Nashville, posted a statement on Twitter in response to the shooting that killed three children and three staff members at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville serving preschool students through sixth graders.
The shooter, a 28-year-old woman, was killed by police. Victims included three 9-year-olds, identified by police as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61, were also killed, according to Nashville police.
“My family and I are devastated by the tragedy that took place at The Covenant School in Nashville this morning,” he wrote. “We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost.”
Dozens of Twitter users, however, responded to Ogles’ statement by reposting the Christmas photo of his family that he shared on Facebook in 2021.
“This response is offensive given your Christmas family photo,” wrote Tweets for Democracy.
“Start by Apologizing for this,” wrote another user.
Ogles’ 2021 message with the family photo by the Christmas tree said: “The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good,” an apocryphal quote from George Washington.
A spokesperson for Ogles did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An Insider investigation in February found that Ogles, a far-right freshman rep, had embellished many aspects of his resume, including his history in law enforcement and his role in combating international sex trafficking.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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