‘Abbott Elementary’ Creator Stunned by Requests for a School Shooting Episode: ‘This Country Is Rotting Our Brains’

“Wild how many people have asked,” Quinta Brunson tweeted

Quinta Brunson in "Abbott Elementary"
Quinta Brunson in "Abbott Elementary" (ABC)

The day after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson tweeted how tired she is of people suggesting she write a school shooting episode for her hit ABC series.

“Wild how many people have asked for a school shooting episode of the show I write. People are that deeply removed from demanding more from the politicians they’ve elected and are instead demanding ‘entertainment.’ I can’t ask ‘are y’all ok’ anymore because the answer is ‘no,’” she wrote.

https://twitter.com/quintabrunson/status/1529543520909787136

The actress/producer also shared a screenshot of a message, presumably sent Wednesday morning, labeled “Exhibit A: one of many” in which someone asked for an “Abbott Elementary” school shooting episode that would “get our government to understand why laws need to pass” and to “affect change.”

She then referenced Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, who called out current governor Greg Abbott’s apathy about stopping gun violence during a press conference on Wednesday.

“Please use that energy to ask your elected official to get on Beto time and nothing less,” she wrote. “I’m begging you. I don’t want to sound mean, but I want people to understand the flaw in asking for something like this. We’re not okay. This country is rotting our brains. I’m sad about it.”

One Twitter user responded, “Your show is innocence and hope. I can only speak for me but I would prefer it to STAY that way,” while another wrote, “Please don’t do one. I watch your wonderful show with my kids & they don’t need any more of that. Give them one school that is a safe place, please.”

Other people referred to past TV series that tried to address the real-life epidemic, with several remembering the tone-deaf “Glee” 2013 episode. Added another, “One Tree Hill did a school shooting episode in 2006, a TV show isn’t the change we need.”

Comedian Jenny Yang was one of may people to retweet Brunson’s message with the incisive note, “wrong Abbott.”

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