CBS fired a company executive on Monday after she criticised some victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting as “Republican gun toters” who did not deserve sympathy.

Hayley Geftman-Gold, who was a vice president and senior legal counsel at CBS in New York, also wrote on Facebook that she had no hope that Republicans - whom she called “Repugs” - would ever take action and “do the right thing” if they didn't do anything when children were murdered, an apparent reference to the Sandy Hook shootings that left 28 people dead, including 20 children killed inside their elementary school.

Geftman-Gold made her Facebook comments in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, with at least 59 people killed and more than 500 injured. The shooting attack occurred at the end of a three-day country music festival held over the weekend on the Las Vegas Strip. The event drew a diverse crowd of thousands of music fans out, and police said the audience was more than 22,000-strong when gunshots rang out at about 10pm on Sunday.

CBS confirmed to The Washington Post on Monday that Geftman-Gold was dismissed for her “deeply unacceptable” comments on social media.

“This individual, who was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our company and is no longer an employee of CBS,” the company said in a statement.

“Her views as expressed on social media are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the victims in Las Vegas and their families.”

Her posts have since been deleted.

The Daily Caller, a right-leaning outlet, first reported on Geftman-Gold's post Monday morning.

Geftman-Gold, who had been with CBS for a year, said that she “sincerely regrets” her “indefensible” and “shameful” post, and is “deeply sorry for diminishing the significance of every life affected” by the gunman's terrorism, according to Fox News.

Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People scramble for shelter at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People carry a person at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A handout photo released via Twitter by Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) showing concertgoers running away from the scene (C) after shots range out at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Eiki Hrafnsson Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People lie on the ground at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People stand on the street outside the Mandalay Bay hotel near the scene of the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Paul Buck Las Vegas shooting – in pictures FBI agents confer in front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting during a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas police run by a banner on the fence at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures An injured person is tended to in the intersection of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival Ethan Miller/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Metro Police officers pass by the front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A woman sits on a curb at the scene of a shooting outside of a music festival along the Las Vegas Strip AP/John Locher Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A cowboy hat lays in the street after shots were fired near a country music festival in Las Vegas Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas Metro Police and medical workers stage in the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Sheriff Joe Lombardo (2-R) speaking during a press briefing in the aftermath of the active shooter incident on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA

A petition addressed to the New York State Bar Association has been posted online condemning Geftman-Gold's “professional misconduct,” and had more than 1,000 signatures as of early Monday evening.