Actor Wil Wheaton lashed out at House Speaker Paul Ryan following the deadly shooting at a Texas church Sunday, using social media to blast the congressman’s call to prayer after the attack, which claimed the lives of 26 worshippers and injured 30 others.
Ryan tweeted Sunday afternoon that residents of Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the shooting took place, “need our prayers right now.” The small community in Texas was devastated after a gunman, identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, stormed the First Baptist Church and opened fire on Sunday morning services.
“The murdered victims were in a church,” Wheaton fired back at Ryan in one of several tweets about the incident Sunday. “If prayers did anything, they’d still be alive, you worthless sack of sh*t.”
Wheaton followed up his initial tweet by calling out Ryan for what he claimed was the Speaker’s “refusal to address gun violence.” The 45-year-old Stand By Me actor also apologized after several Twitter users apparently criticized him for insulting people of faith.
“Your faith is your business, and people like Paul Ryan exploit it while they hide behind words without deeds, and people continue to die,” the actor wrote.
Wheaton was just one of numerous celebrities to weigh in on Sunday’s attack on social media.
Netflix talk show host Chelsea Handler blamed Republicans for the massacre, while celebrities including author Stephen King, actor Kumail Nanjiani, and director Adam McKay called for increased gun control measures.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum