Hollywood is taking to social media to speak out on the deadly shooting in a Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater Thursday during a showing of Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck.”
Among words of sympathy for the victims, many decried the ongoing gun violence that continues to make headlines. Three people died in the Lafayette shooting, including shooter John Russell Houser, and nine were injured.
“Prayers 4 victims/folks in #Lafayette shooting. My fam & I were just in a theatre 2nite. Do we have 2 wear bulletproof vests 2C movie now?” tweeted “Agents of SHIELD” star Ming-Na Wen.
“My thoughts and love go out to the victims and anyone touched by this madness or any madness,” Trainwreck” director Judd Apatow said in a statement. “We, as a country, need to find a way to do better.”
“The Hunger Games” star Jeffrey Wright was even more explicit in spotlighting the relationship between the continued gun violence and lax gun control laws in the United States.
“Bobby Jindal on the scene in #Lafayette attempting “Presidential,” proclaiming “evil” & calling for prayer…but never tougher gun,” he said, also adding, “#Lafayette, #Chattanooga, #Charleston. Heartbreaking…too much. Too many guns too easily gotten by psychos.”
“Nobody even has time to finish the sentence ‘don’t politicize a tragedy’ before there is another mass shooting,” said “Veep” star Timothy Simons, who went on to reiterate his position over several tweets, including debating the issue with other Twitter users.
Simons also explicitly calls out the National Rifle Association, saying, “I hope the NRA can hear the rapturous thanks for defending our rights from atop the pile of dead citizens for which they are responsible.”
Below are a sampling of Hollywood figures who are speaking out about gun violence in the wake of the Lafayette shooting, and see video reaction from “Veep” actor Tony Hale above.
Prayers 4 victims/folks in #Lafayette shooting. My fam & I were just in a theatre 2nite. Do we have 2 wear bulletproof vests 2C movie now?
— Ming-Na Wen (@MingNa) July 24, 2015
Bobby Jindal on the scene in #Lafayette attempting "Presidential," proclaiming "evil" & calling for prayer…but never tougher gun laws.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 24, 2015
#Lafayette, #Chattanooga, #Charleston. Heartbreaking…too much. Too many guns too easily gotten by psychos.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624419012731105280
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624419169346306048
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624419762504757248
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624581672898445312
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624423914903502848
https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/624421284231819265
The culture of violence is not new. Our country was built on a culture of violence. We have to consciously decide to change.
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) July 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/wilw/status/624437486836584448
https://twitter.com/michaelianblack/status/624409637580894208