“F**k your thoughts and prayers”: Michigan lawmaker’s viral tweet on MSU shooting gets mixed reaction

By RAYMOND STRICKLAND

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    LANSING, Michigan (WWJ) — Calls for state lawmakers to pass common sense gun legislation continue to grow after the mass shooting at MSU. The frustrations are coming from students and even lawmakers themselves.

Michigan State Rep. Ranjeev Puri’s anger spilled over onto social media hours after the shooting took place. The Democratic lawmaker made headlines for saying f**k your thoughts and prayers in a news release he tweeted advocating for gun reform.

“It is time to move away from platitudes to policy and change and if it’s just five measly words that is going to shift this narrative and bring attention to what I said rather to take the focus off of the horrific incident that happened then I think we need to have a real conversation on what our priorities are,” Puri said.

Puri also said the shooting that claimed the lives of three people and injured five others is an all too familiar site in this country.

He said it’s time for meaningful change.

“There are packages we are working on, whether it be extremist protection orders, universal background checks or safe storage. Those are things we are diligently working on with my colleagues and I’m confident the voters bringing in a gun sense majority in the house and senate and the governor’s office will lead to real change and bettering the lives of Michiganders.”

Puri’s tweet may have been seen by millions but it wasn’t viewed the same way by everyone, including Michigan State Senator Jim Runestad.

“I think it was inappropriate. In fact even disgusting,” he said. “Because I can guarantee you there’s people in that community, there’s family members contacting each other with thoughts and prayers at this moment.”

Runestad also is pushing back against the idea that gun reform would’ve prevented the tragedy at MSU. He said laws already on the books just weren’t enforced.

“What upsets me is that there’s this push from the left. That these [gun reforms] are going to solve this specific shooting, no,” he said. “What would’ve solved this specific shooting, what would’ve stopped it was the prosecutor in Ingham county enforcing the law.”

He is referring to the suspect’s 2019 arrest for gun possession in which the charge he was faced was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Runestad he’s also hopeful both republicans and democrats can come together to address gun violence.

“I hope that there’s some laws that we can look at that can reasonably prevent violence with guns. I’m 100 percent all in on that but I don’t want to put in something that’s going to arbitrarily reduce someone gun rights who isn’t a violent person,” he said.

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