KEY POINTS

  • The routine nature of gun violence was neatly summed up by Trump's tweet.
  • "That's no excuse for a POTUS confusing them. Carelessness is callousness."

2017 has been a particularly bad year for mass shootings in the US, with tragic incidents occurring in Texas, Florida and Las Vegas.

Yesterday (November 14) four people were murdered by a man at a remote community in northern California. Police prevented a higher death toll when they shot and killed the assailant who had failed to gain access to an elementary school during his spree.

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These kind of incidents are now so common that members of the general public would be forgiven if they quickly forget the details.

This is what appears to have happened to Donald Trump when he learned news about the California incident.

Last night (November 15) at 8.34pm he tweeted: "May God be with the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI and Law Enforcement has arrived."

Many noticed that Trump had mentioned a previous incident that happened on November 5 in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

The shooter in that incident, Devin Patrick Kelley, was believed to have become depressed and opened fire on a congregation at a Baptist church. A total of 25 people, including eight children, were killed in the carnage.

Users on social media say the President's tweet illustrated the routine nature of gun violence in the United States. Many were in disbelief about the insensitive tweet, which one called "callous."

"That's no excuse for a POTUS confusing them. Carelessness is callousness."

It appears Trump simply copy and pasted his previous meassage about Sutherland Springs and forgot to to change the town's name to Ranchero Tahama, where last night's shooting took place.

In 2016 there were 368 mass shootings in the United States, according to gunviolence.org.

The organisation, which tracks America's daily shootings, claims that there have been 318 mass shooting this year, claiming the lives of 372 and causing a further 1,562 injuries.

There have been no legislative attempts to extend gun control during the Trump presidency so far - making it likely more violence will unfold to an indifferent American public.

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