Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has condemned the mass shooting that took place on Monday at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, taking twelve hours to respond to the incident.
The shooting claimed three lives and left five others critically wounded.
Buttigieg tweeted on Tuesday morning that “This has to end,” and that the news from Michigan State University is heartbreaking.
The suspected gunman, Anthony McRae, killed four people, including himself, and five others remain in critical condition.
Buttigieg’s swift statement is strange, given recent criticism over his political priorities amid a series of transportation disasters, which is what his main priorities should be.
Critics slammed Buttigieg for taking 10 days to respond to a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that spilled toxic chemicals into the environment on Feb. 3.
Buttigieg has issued a statement about the accident and continues to support the investigation.
During his appearance at the National Association of Counties Conference on Monday, Buttigieg did not address the accident, instead choosing to focus on topics like racial disparities in construction and the bipartisan infrastructure law.
However, after facing criticism on social media throughout the day, he released a statement regarding the incident.
“I continue to be concerned about the impacts of the Feb 3 train derailment near East Palestine, OH, and the effects on families in the ten days since their lives were upended through no fault of their own,” Buttigieg tweeted.
“It’s important that families have access to useful & accurate information.”
He added, “USDOT has been supporting the investigation led by The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).”
” Our Federal Rail Administration and Pipelines and Hazardous Materials teams were onsite within hours of the initial incident and continue to be actively engaged.”
READ MORE: Ohio’s ‘Apocalyptic’ Chemical Disaster Rages on – Media Silent
