Navy Yard Shooting: Twitter Attacks Henry Winkler Over Gun-Control Tweet As Liberals And Conservatives Rush To Politicize Tragedy

Twitter users are telling Henry Winkler to “sit on it” after a tweet in which he used the Washington Navy Yard shooting as an occasion to call for stricter gun laws.

The former “Happy Days” star tweeted the politically charged comment at 9:50 a.m., just as news was first breaking that someone had opened fire at a naval office building not far from Capitol Hill. At last count, police report that at least 13 people have been killed, including one gunman, identified as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis. Two other gunmen were believed to remain at large, although that was later denied.

Winkler’s tweet did not go over as well as his once-beloved portrayal of Arthur Fonzarelli. Critics shot back, with many saying it was in poor taste to politicize the tragedy as it was still unfolding. Some users posted with the hashtag #jumptheshark, a reference to a famous TV idiom used to describe a precipitous decline in quality. The saying gets its meaning from a “Happy Days” episode in which Winkler’s character literally jumps a shark.

Others in the pro-gun camp were quick to condemn Winkler by spitting out politically charged tweets of their own. A favorite device was pointing out that the site of the shootings is a "gun-free zone," rehashing the argument that casualties could have been minimized had an armed avenger been present.

Despite the knee-jerk finger waging from both sides, the instant politicizing of tragic events has become a hallmark of Twitter behavior in recent years. Within hours of the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Conn., last year, Twitter became awash in both pro-gun and anti-gun statements.

Got a news tip? Send me an email. Follow me on Twitter: @christopherzara