Piers Morgan spoke out against President Donald Trump and his government following the Florida high school shooting.
The British media personality, who has been criticized for seeming to go soft on Trump during an interview in 2017 had some had words for the president after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
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“Three of the 10 worst mass shootings in American history have happened in your 1st year, Mr President [Donald Trump],” Morgan tweeted. “What are you going to do about it?”
Three of the 10 worst mass shootings in American history have happened in your 1st year, Mr President @realDonaldTrump.
โ Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2018
What are you going to do about it?
First reported by The Wrap, Morgan also shared a portion of his interview with Trump, in which Morgan pushed the president on the topic of gun violence. In the interview, Morgan brings up Stephen Paddock, the man accused of killing 58 people during a mass shooting in Las Vegas in October 2017.
What President Trump told me about guns in our interview last month: https://t.co/Ub8tdsFIu4
โ Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2018
Morgan mentioned that Paddock allegedly purchased 55 guns legally in the year prior to the shooting.
Trump responded, “Well, we do have gun control laws and this sick person โ he was a sicko. I mean that’s the big problem โ they’re sick people โฆ If he didn’t have a gun, he would have a bomb, or would have something else.”
Morgan also tweeted his shock at the news of the weapon used by suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz, who sheriffs confirmed is 19 years old.
CNN reporting the 18-yr-old shooter used an AR-15.
โ Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2018
Same rifle as used at Sandy Hook, Aurora, San Bernardino & most mass shootings.
Why the f**k does any civilian need these killing machines?
BAN THEM. pic.twitter.com/r77jexk591
“CNN reporting 18-year-old shooter used an AR-15,” he tweeted, along with a photo of the weapon. “Same rifle as used at Sandy Hook, Aurora, San Bernardino & most mass shootings. Why the fโk does any civilian need these killing machines? BAN THEM.”
The latest shooting happened roughly 50 miles north of Miami. Cruz was identified as a former student of the high school who was asked to leave after threatening a student in Spring 2017.
According to math teacher Jim Gard, who had Cruz as a student in the previous school year, teachers were instructed to not allow Cruz on school grounds following his departure.
“We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him,” Gard told The Miami Herald. “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”
Cruz reportedly began shooting around 2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, minutes before the school day’s dismissal. Using an AR-15 rifle, Cruz reportedly pulled the school’s fire alarm then opened fire as kids began filing out of classrooms. The sheriff’s department confirmed 17 people were killed during the shooting.
“We all thought it was a fire drill because we had one previously today,” a student told FOX 6. “And we thought it was, so no one was that nervous, but then word started going around that it was shots and not just, like, something else, everyone just started running towards the canal.”
President Trump issued a message earlier Wednesday expressing his condolences for those injured in the attack.
“My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school,” Trump tweeted following the news.
One student managed to live tweet the shooting, while others posted videos to social media from inside classrooms. Police and SWAT arrived on the scene and helped many of the students out of the building, while others quickly fled on foot without being seen by Cruz.