Melissa Joan Hart, a former child star known for her roles in “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” sparked controversy with a tweet in response to the recent school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Hart’s tweet read, “I’m sickened to see another school shooting. This time in my home state of Tennessee. Absolutely no one needs a gun. Period. I’m devastated for the victims and their families.” While many Twitter users praised Hart for her stance on gun control, others criticized her for being insensitive and ignorant.
Some of Hart’s critics pointed out that the shooting in Nashville was actually committed with a homemade shotgun, not a legally obtained firearm. Others argued that Hart’s tweet was overly simplistic and failed to address the underlying issues that contribute to gun violence, such as mental health and poverty. Still, others accused Hart of being hypocritical for having previously starred in movies and TV shows that featured guns.
Despite the backlash, Hart stood by her tweet, arguing that she was expressing her personal opinion and calling for a “conversation” about gun control. The Nashville shooting, which occurred on March 25, 2023, left one student dead and four others injured. The suspected shooter, a 17-year-old male student at the school, was taken into custody by police.
