A 2015 tweet by Texas Governor Greg Abbott calling on Texans to purchase extra weapons has resurfaced on-line within the aftermath of the lethal mass capturing at an elementary college in Uvalde on Tuesday.

Abbott, a Republican who's served as governor of Texas since 2015, was commenting on a Houston Chronicle article that stated requests to purchase weapons had topped a million for yr within the state. He wrote on Twitter that he was "embarrassed" by the truth that Texas wasn't the primary state within the nation for brand new gun purchases.

"Let's decide up the tempo Texans." he wrote, tagging gun rights advocacy group the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation of America (NRA).

Greg Abbott Texas
A 2015 tweet by Texas Governor Greg Abbott encouraging Texans to buy extra weapons has resurfaced within the aftermath of the Uvalde college capturing. Above, Abbott participates in a information briefing on the White Home after an Oval Workplace announcement with President Donald Trump on March 24, 2017.Alex Wong/Getty Pictures

Abbott's tweet mocking Texans for falling behind Californians within the buy of latest weapons simply does not age properly subsequent to the varsity shootings which have taken place within the state since and feels notably outrageous to many on social media after the Uvalde capturing the place 19 youngsters and two adults misplaced their lives.

The tweet has been revived by new replies to Abbott, with social media customers writing sarcastic and accusatory statements in response to the governor's message.

"I perceive congratulations are so as. Texas is #1 in class shootings this yr: 19 over California's 18," wrote one consumer.

"That is on you," wrote one other consumer, adopted by one other writing, "You lastly proud?."

It isn't the primary time this tweet has resurfaced. Replies to the tweet present that individuals have made feedback of the identical nature in 2017, after the Sutherland Spring church capturing, and in 2019, after the mass capturing at a Walmart in El Paso.

Since 2015, Texas has really grow to be the state with the very best variety of licenses issued per yr within the nation. Final yr, 1,006,555 licenses have been issued in Texas, based on the assume tank RAND Company.

Texas was adopted by Florida, with 518,725 new licenses reported in the identical yr standing at a major distance from the primary ranked state.

It's estimated that 45.7 p.c of adults in Texas stay in houses with weapons. Nonetheless, Texas will not be even within the high ten checklist of states with the very best charges of gun possession, based on World Inhabitants Assessment.

Since being elected governor of Texas, Abbott has handed a complete of twenty-two gun legal guidelines that mirrored his assist for gun rights within the state. One controversial invoice was handed in September to permit folks to hold a handgun and not using a allow in most public locations, colleges excluded.

After information of the capturing at Uvalde's Robb Elementary Faculty broke, Abbott expressed his condolences to the household of the victims on Twitter, saying he and his spouse have been mourning "this horrific loss."

Newsweek reached out to Governor Abbott for remark.