Piers Morgan has claimed he doesn't care about using the 'preferred personal pronoun' for the transgender Nashville school shooter.
Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and shot six people dead on Monday - with chilling CCTV footage showing the moment the killer storming a building armed with two assault rifles.
The 28-year-old opened fire on young students and staff, killing six victims before being shot dead by two responding police officers.
Of the dead, three were just nine-years-old and three were adults, and police found a detailed map of the school with potential entry points during a search of Hale's house.
Law enforcement officials initially described the suspect as a woman in the aftermath of the shooting, but this was later corrected to 'a biological woman who, on a social media profile, used male pronouns'.
Morgan, who has repeatedly voiced his frustration at US gun laws, said has many concerns about the "child-slayer", but not about the pronouns they chose.
In a expletive-filled tweet along with a photo of the killer, Piers wrote: "I have many concerns about the child-slaying transgender school shooter in Nashville.
"But none of them involves giving a flying f*** about using the 'preferred personal pronoun' when talking about the despicable murderous b*****d."
While many people replying to the tweet agreed with Piers, others claimed there were bigger issues to consider.
One person replied: "Please don't make it about gender because that's not the point"
"And you think that's the most important element, your narcissism is so explicit in this statement," added another.
A third asked: "If you don’t care about their pronouns, why did you highlight that they’re transgender in your tweet?"
Piers also hit out at a Tennessee Congressman who oversees the district where the Nashville school shooting occurred.
Republican Andy Ogles faced a strong backlash after saying he was "utterly heartbroken" over the mass shooting, after a controversial image of the politician posing with guns was discovered.
In 2021, the representative for Tennessee's 5th congressional district brandished assault riles in front of a Christmas tree along with wife Monica and his three children.
In the post, Ogles wrote the quote: "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
Ogles was then slammed for posting a statement about the horror that happened on Monday.
He wrote on Twitter: "My family and I are devastated by the tragedy that took place at The Covenant School in Nashville this morning. We are sending out thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost.
"As a father of three, I am utterly heartbroken by this senseless act of violence. I am closely monitoring the situation and working with local officials. Thank you to the brave first responders who have provided support throughout this tragedy."
One of his critics was Morgan, who posted the image on his Twitter and Instagram pages.
Piers tweeted: "Yesterday, three 9yr-old children & three adults were murdered in the latest US school mass shooting. The district in Nashville, Tennessee, is represented in Congress by. Rep. @AndyOgles . This was his family's Christmas card last year.
The three children killed were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9-years-old.
The adults killed were identified as Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, Mike Hill, 61, a janitor, and Katherine Koonce, 60, who was the head of the school.
Authorities also described school shooter Hale as a "lone zealot", who had written a manifesto ahead of the attack.
Piers has repeatedly voiced strongly-held opinions on gun control and engaged in fierce debates with pro-gun rights guests on his CNN show.
Right-wing radio host Alex Jones was so incensed at Piers' stance on gun control that he started a petition to have him deported which was signed by 100,000 people.
This led to the White House releasing a statement reminding people that "the Constitution enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press".
