Former Wales international David Cotterill has sparked a backlash on social media after posting a bizarre rant less than 24 hours after the horrific school shooting in Texas.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed when a lone gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Reports claim the suspect, Salvador Ramos, 18, had also shot his grandmother before entering the school.
Ramos was shot dead by authorities shortly after the incident, which is America's deadliest school massacre in almost 10 years.
Read more: What we know about mass school shootings in the US and the gunmen who carry them out
The incident follows on from another mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, just 10 days ago. On that occasion, the suspect, also believed to be an 18-year-old shooter, opened fire at a supermarket, killing 10 people.
Both shootings are likely to spark significant debate over gun laws in America, with the right to bear arms protected under the second amendment of the country's constitution.
In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, Cotterill has now waded into the debate, referring to a 'false flag event'.
Taking to Instagram, he posted a short statement under the caption 'Rinse and Repeat'.
He posted: "It's so easy for the controllers to get the exact reaction they're looking for out of 90% of the population using the same strategy over and over again.
"Take a look at any comment section on the latest event in the US and you'll see exactly what I mean.
"Classic problem. Reaction. Solution.
"False flag events are one of their go to methods of manipulating the public opinion to bring about change.
"America is the last major country that allows it's [sic] citizens to arm themselves. Which they can't really have with what they're planning to do in the coming months and years.
"Many of these events are staged using crisis actors or carried out using victims of MK Ultra/Big harma [sic]
"Maintain focus on their agenda. And you'll make sense of it all..."
MK Ultra was the codename given to a secret CIA programme during the Cold War that aimed to discover methods of mind control.
Cotterill's post has been roundly condemned by onlookers on social media, many of whom have reacted with outrage.
The 34-year-old, who was part of the Wales side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, has become renowned for his controversial political views. He was an outspoken critic of the government's approach to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the effects of lockdowns, and has frequently posted baseless theories about the alleged dangers of vaccines.
When contacted by WalesOnline, he denied the post related to the Texas school massacre, saying: "When I actually released that I wasn't even made aware of the actual shooting until I spoke to my dad and he said 'have you seen the recent shooting in America?' So my post was just about recent articles when you see some of the stuff about the pandemic. It was not about the actual shooting as I wasn't even made aware of it until I spoke to my dad, as I said. I fully respect people have lost their lives."
He's not the only one from the world of sport to have commented on the latest shooting.
A visibly emotional Steve Kerr, head coach of basketball franchise Golden State Warriors, told reporters: “When are we gonna do something?
“I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough!"
