Man carrying American flag, sidearm approached Texas school after shooting, offering ‘support’

A man arrived near the scene of a school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday bearing an American flag and an apparent sidearm, saying he was there to “make America great again” and offer “support” in a now viral video clip.

Between eight and 10 fatalities have been reported at the Houston-area high school after a shooter opened fire on Friday morning. Reporters near the scene spoke with the man, who appeared to be open-carrying a handgun as he headed toward the school grounds.

Guns and prayers: A man shows up to the Santa Fe High School (Texas) shooting with an American flag and a gun. Another man says “it’s an embarrassment.” pic.twitter.com/TAixNrJCPp

— Scott McGrew (@ScottMcGrew) May 18, 2018 

“Offering support,” the man told CBS News affiliate KHOU-TV when asked what he aimed to accomplish by visiting the area. He suggested that support could “go a long ways right now for a lot of people.”

The man, wearing a Trump 2016 campaign hat and Army shirt, then walked away from the news crew. A second unidentified man nearby complained that the armed man was an “embarrassment.” 

“We need prayers, OK? We need prayers,” the second man said. “This idiot is walking down the street with a damn pistol on his side where we just had kids get shot.”

The second man went on to say that he was “a gun rights person” who has guns, but chastised the armed man for bringing a gun to the site of a shooting. 

“We don’t need this crap,” he said. “This is an embarrassment.”

A suspect for the shooting at Santa Fe High School has been taken into custody, a principal for the school told reporters.