Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tore into conservative Republican Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert for her statement showing concern for the victims of a mass shooting at an LGBT+ nightclub.
At least five people were killed and 25 others sustained injuries after a 22-year-old man wearing body armour stormed inside Club Q in Colorado Springs and opened fire before being subdued by “heroic” patrons.
Following the Saturday midnight shooting, Ms Boebert tweeted that the “news out of Colorado Springs is absolutely awful”.
“This morning the victims and their families are in my prayers. This lawless violence needs to end and end quickly,” she added.
Ms Boebert in her tweet did not mention the location of the shooting or the community of people killed in the tragedy.
Responding to Ms Boebert’s tweet, the Democrat congresswoman accused her of playing a “major role” in elevating anti-LGBT+ hate in a scathing attack.
“You have played a major role in elevating anti-LGBT+ hate rhetoric and anti-trans lies while spending your time in Congress blocking even the most common sense gun safety laws,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
“You don’t get to ‘thoughts and prayers’ your way out of this.
“Look inward and change.”
Ms Boebert has faced similar criticism from netizens who accuse the right-wing congresswoman of regularly inflaming hate against the LGBT+ community.
Ms Boebert has more than once tweeted approvingly about right-wing hate account LibsOfTikTok, which shines a spotlight on private citizens and businesses seen as members of or allied with the gay community. Those targeted by the account are subjected to relentless abuse from thousands of followers.
Just a few months ago, Ms Boebert tweeted that the LibsOfTikTok account had “discovered the most effective way to highlight the inconsistencies of Leftist logic” after it received suspension from the platform.
The Conservative congresswoman had also in the past shared a series of tweets vilifying drag culture. “Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars,” she had tweeted in June this year.
Police have named Anderson Lee Aldrich as a suspect in the Colorado Springs shooting. The suspect reportedly carried an AR-15-style rifle into the nightclub. Two firearms were recovered from the scene, the authorities said.
Police said at least two people subdued the gunman shortly after he burst in, preventing further carnage, but did not identify them.
