‘Big Bang Theory’ Actor Johnny Galecki Says Fans Were Outraged by His Response to Florida Shooting

Johnny Galecki responded to the critics who were “outraged and threatened” by his posts after the Parkland, Florida high school shooting, where 14 students and three teachers were killed. For those who unfollowed him because of his messages, he said, “Good riddance.”

“In my last couple of posts, I’ve not suggested a single idea for new gun laws or background checks or even mental illness issues after the latest school murders in Florida. I only suggested change. And yet many folks were outraged and threatened and angered by only that,” the Big Bang Theory star wrote. “They unfollowed my account (fine). Or remained to convince me to [pack your bags] REALLY? You feel there’s zero change needed? You hate and want me out of the country and belittle my opinion after three generations of my fathers served and gave their lives because I suggest it’s not shameful to maybe explore taking a page from another country where their children haven’t been mass murdered in a school shooting in over 20 years?”

Galecki wrote that some followers suggested his opinions were void because he was part of “Hollywood hypocrisy” because he made one comedy where he held a fake gun.

“At this point I say to the unfollowers, good riddance,” Galecki wrote. “I’m sorry that the suggestion of a conversation frightened you off. You have no interest in having any conversation and I have no interest in wasting my time trying to convince you to be a more evolved human being. Those of you that will stay, despite our shared heartbreak at times, I plead with you to find energy to rise and dissent and make change.”

Galecki included a video he made with singer Randy Houser, filled with footage from a festival they hosted to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital last year.

“7,000+ hardworking people showed and gave. You can make change,” Galecki continued. “Much more easily than you may think. You can not [pack your bags] and stay and make our homeland all your previous generations fought for by what we now call dissent. It’s not only our right but our responsibility. I’m always willing to listen to the other side of the argument. And fine tune my barometer of fairness. And fight for it loudly. The others can run.”

After the shooting on Wednesday, Galecki posted a painting of Florida, with a heart over South Florida. At the end of the message, he told politicians, “Sometimes saying you’re sorry isn’t enough, you need to make changes.”

The Roseanne actor also posted an Onion headline that reads, “‘No way to prevent this,’ says only nation where this regularly happens.”

“We spend much of our lives seeking to learn lessons from others who reap better results than we have. Why is it shameful or unpatriotic to suggest our government explore doing the same?” Galecki asked. “Especially when such a result may save lives and keep our children safe.”

On Wednesday, Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, went into the school and killed 17 people with an AR-15-style rifle he legally purchased. He confessed and has since been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.