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Actor Kevin Sorbo—best known for his role in the mid-90s live-action television series Hercules—has found himself embroiled in controversy once again, this time for his comments on assault weapons in the aftermath of a mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas.
In an attempt to defend the use of such firearms, Sorbo claimed assault weapons "aren't real."
He added:
"Just like there's no such thing as an assult [sic] car, or assault pencil."
"Stop blaming objects when the person is at fault."
You can see Sorbo's tweet below.
\u201cAssault weapons aren\u2019t real. Just like there\u2019s no such thing as an assult car, or assault pencil. Stop blaming objects when the person is at fault.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
The tweet was met with sharp criticism in light of the recent wave of mass shootings across the United States.
The most recent of these tragedies occurred in Allen, where another White nationalist gunman killed eight people—including children—and wounded seven others. With increased calls for stricter gun control laws, Sorbo's tweet was widely shared on social media, but for all the wrong reasons.
Sorbo's comments also come amid a growing trend of right-wing conspiracy theories that seek to undermine the reality of mass shootings and gun violence. These theories often focus on blaming mental health issues or societal factors, rather than addressing the role of firearms in these tragedies.
While Sorbo is entitled to his opinions, many argue that his dismissal of assault weapons as a real threat is dangerous and counterproductive.
Many have called him out and fact-checked his claim.
\u201c@ksorbs If people didn't have access to assault weapons, the object would not be killing people. So if you away access to one variable (guns) ... bingo - problem solved.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs Fine then, let's regulate guns as much as cars. \n#GunRefo\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs Right. Guns don\u2019t kill people. People do.\n\nPEOPLE WITH GUNS! Especially assault rifles! Which is what an A.R. 15 is. It was meant for war, not for personal use.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs Asinine to say machine guns aren\u2019t assault weapons\u2026\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs Yeah, it\u2019s the people. We should also be able to buy C4; grenades, bazookas and surface to air missiles\u2026because it\u2019s only the people that kill\u2026.not the \u2018non-real assault weapons\u2019 originally specifically designed to kill as many people as possible by its single operator\u2026in war.\u2026\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs It would be helpful if they would put the people behind bars when they do the assault.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs Cars are regulated, no one is committing mass murder with a pencil.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
\u201c@ksorbs People sure are shooting a lot of not-assault-rifles at other people.\u201d— Kevin Sorbo (@Kevin Sorbo) 1683493000
The shooting in Allen resulted in nine deaths, including the shooter, while seven others were injured, with three in critical condition.
The perpetrator was reported to have worked as a security guard and was living in a motel. He reportedly received firearms training while working his security job and had no previous criminal history.
The shooter's clothing bore the insignia RWDS which authorities believe may stand for "Right Wing Death Squad."