Sue Ogrocki / ASSOCIATED PRESS Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a Sept. 1 news conference concerning the mass shooting in Odessa, Texas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed dismay on Monday that the mass shooter who killed seven people in West Texas had managed to buy an AR-style weapon in Texas even though he had a criminal history and didn’t register for a background check. Abbott recently signed a host of new laws loosening gun restrictions in Texas, following guidelines provided by the National Rifle Association. And the Republican governor once tweeted that he was “embarrassed” that Texas trailed California in the number of gun purchases. But in a Monday tweet, Abbott appeared rattled that the mass shooter had been able to purchase the AR-style gun that he used in Saturday’s bloody rampage in Odessa and Midland.

Not only did the Odessa gunman have a criminal history...



...he also previously failed a gun purchase background check in Texas...



...& he didn’t go thru a background check for the gun he used in Odessa.



We must keep guns out of criminals’ hands. https://t.co/vgrqcHtBtF — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 2, 2019

I'm EMBARRASSED: Texas #2 in nation for new gun purchases, behind CALIFORNIA. Let's pick up the pace Texans. @NRAhttps://t.co/Ry2GInbS1g — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 28, 2015

Abbott is a particular favorite of the NRA, which hailed the new pro-gun measures. “Governor Greg Abbott has now signed all of the NRA-supported legislation which the Texas Legislature sent him during the 2019 session,” the NRA website boasted. The last time Abbott addressed a mass shooting in Texas was in early August when another gunman killed 22 people in an El Paso Walmart. The governor acknowledged at a press conference then that “we did not, as far as I know, evaluate for and plan for an incident like this” in any of the new gun laws. But he emphasized that funding had been provided “for the state to better address” mental health issues. There has been no indication that either gunman last month suffered from mental illness. After the El Paso attack, Abbott snapped at reporters who quizzed him on gun control, saying: “We need to focus more on memorials before we start the politics.”

Texas Gov. Abbott on the issue of gun violence after El Paso mass shooting attack: "I think we need to focus more on memorials before we start the politics." https://t.co/HV7Nn4MSVzpic.twitter.com/ZQ8amuS1SQ — MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 4, 2019

Abbott’s dismayed tweet after the carnage in West Texas about how “we” must keep guns out of criminal hands predictably drew scorn.

Gee, Greg. How about doing something like close the background loopholes for private sales??? 🙄🖕🏼 — Texas Y’all (@texasdemyall) September 2, 2019

As we have been SCREAMING... DO FCKN SOMETHING..Dump the NRA donations for starters..ban PVT GUN SHOWS..BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS — DeLiz (@DelizDear) September 2, 2019

In other words:



This massacre has been brought to you by the @NRA and the @GOP. — Arthur J. Stansbury (@a_j_stansbury) September 2, 2019

So, background checks work and the government needs to close all the loopholes...thanks for agreeing with all of us who have been screaming about this.



Now do your damn job. — L S #KHive Fleming (@MaggieDog01) September 2, 2019

A perfect reason all weapons should be registered and reported when sold just like a motor vehicle! If something isn’t done there will be more innocent bloodshed and it will continue to be the republicans problem! Listen to the people you work for! Not the NRA! — Clinton Walker (@clintontwalker2) September 2, 2019

HE DIDN’T GO THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK FOR THE GUN HE USED IN ODESSA. Read that part again. #UniversalBackgroundChecks — Boston Frenchie 🐶Im🍑 (@want2brd) September 2, 2019

We must help Texans get you out of office. — Jeremy Pond (@JeremyPond) September 2, 2019