The satirical website The Onion published a headline on Monday that echoed the thoughts of many Americans who were, once again, processing a horrific mass shooting.

“‘No Way to Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”

The headline was not new. It was the fifth time The Onion had published it.

Most jokes, when repeated, lose their power. Yet each time The Onion publishes this particular headline, it seems to rocket around the internet with more force. A tweet with the headline from The Onion’s account on Monday had, by Tuesday afternoon, been retweeted more than 55,000 times.

The headline — and the accompanying article, which is always the same save for some minor details to reflect the latest location and the number of victims — has, with each use, seemed to turn from cheeky political commentary on gun control into a reverberation of despair.