Daily News cover calling out pols’ empty rhetoric after San Bernardino shooting prompts strong responses

Chris Carlson/Ap Photo
San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan, right, talks to the media near the the site of a mass shooting on Dec. 2, 2015, in San Bernardino, California. One or more gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a Southern California social services center, shooting several people as others locked themselves in their offices, desperately waiting to be rescued by police, witnesses and authorities said. Authorities said the shooting rampage killed multiple people and wounded others.
New York Daily News
Gunman Devin Kelley opened fire during a church service in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing at least 26 people as young as 18 months and wounding 20 on Nov. 5, 2017. The shooter killed himself on a Texas highway after leading police on a car chase.
Mike Blake/Reuters
The SUV vehicle is shown where two suspects were shot by police following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 3, 2015.
Micah Escamilla/Ap Photo
People gather at San Bernardino Golf Course after being evacuated near the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility.
David Bauman/AP
A couple embraces following the shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility.
Doug Saunders/Ap
People are evacuated by law enforcement agencies from the Inland Regional Center, the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Police in San Bernardino, California, were responding to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility. There were reports of multiple victims, Lt. Rich Lawhead said Wednesday.
New York Daily News
On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger went on a shooting and stabbing rampage at the University of California, Santa Barbara campus killing 6 people and injuring 13 more before killing himself. The front cover of the Daily News was titled "Virgin Rampage" since Rodger uploaded a video before the shooting angered about females that denied him and males that had a more sexually active life than him.
New York Daily News
Two days later, the front cover of the Daily News showed the smiling faces of 12 out of 20 child victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, all aged between 6 and 7. On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza entered the school killing 20 children and 6 more adults during a deadly rampage before ending his own life.
New York Daily News
When Dylan Roof was identified as the killer from the Charleston church shooting, the News ran this front page on June 19, 2015 with the headline, "American's Disease: Racist S.C. church shooter captured."
Knbc
A distraught woman is comforted at the scene of a mass shooting in San Bernadino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Multiple gunmen in military uniform open fired inside the Inland Regional Center, a California facility for the developmentally disabled.
Knbc
Emergency services carry a victim on a stretcher after a shooter opened fire in Bernardino, California.
New York Daily News
12 were left dead after a gunmen targeted Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Instead of offering solutions, politicians chose to offer prayers.
Jae C. Hong/AP
A woman who survived the shooting Wednesday in San Bernardino, Calif., talks to the media after reuniting with her family.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Police officers secure the area after gunmen opened fire at a social services agency in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Knbc
Police rush to the scene of the deadly shooting at the 1300 block of S. Waterman in San Bernardino, California on Dec, 2, 2015.
David Mcnew/Getty Images
Employees and other people are evacuated by bus from the site of a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center Dec. 2, 2015 in San Bernardino, California. Multiple fatalities were reported as police search for up to three suspects who are still at large.
Knbc
A crowd of people make their way to safety after gunmen open fired near a golf course in Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
New York Daily News
The front page from of the New York Daily News on Oct. 3, 2015, shows the faces of the victims of the Roseburg shooting at Umpqua Community College, before becoming another statistic.
Knbc
Two officers assist an injured man after he escapes with his life following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
New York Daily News
On Sept. 16, 2013, a lone gunman fatally killed 12 people and injured others at Washington Navy Yards in Washington, D.C. The News ran a cover with the headline, "Same Gun, Different Slay," referencing that the gun used was the same one that was used by the Sandy Hook shooter.
New York Daily News
House Speaker Paul Ryan, in a move likely championed by NRA head Wayne LaPierre, refuses to let the House of Representatives vote on a gun bill, and Democrats revolt by occupying the House all night long... and perhaps beyond?
Chris Carlson/Ap Photo
According to the San Bernardino police chief, all suspects are now down and one officer was wounded in the standoff with the armed suspects.
Micah Escamilla/Ap Photo
A SWAT vehicle carries police officers near the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force stand outside of a press conference regarding the shooting that occurred at the Inland Regional Center on Dec. 2, 2015 in San Bernardino, California. Multiple fatalities were reported as police search for up to three suspects who are still at large.
Mike Blake/Reuters
After a press conference, police report that two suspects involved in the San Bernardino shooting, one male and one female, are confirmed dead. A third suspect has been detained and all suspects were wearing tactical gear during the shooting.
Knbc
Police carry a victim from the scene of a deadly shooting at the 1300 block of S. Waterman in San Bernardino, California.
Knbc
People throw their hands up as they escape with their lives following a mass shooting in Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Knbc
Emergency services assist victims who were injured when a shooter opened fire in San Bernardino, California.
New York Daily News
After shooter Dylan Roof opened fire in Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015 killing nine people, the Daily News ran this front cover with the headline, "Massacre."
New York Daily News
Lone gunman Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people and injured 3 others at Washington Navy Yards in Sept. of 2013 using the same gun as Lanza did in the Sandy Hook shootings, an AR-15. Although Alexis had prior gun arrests and a history of mental illness, he was still cleared to legally obtain a firearm.
Jae C. Hong/Ap Photo
A resident stands behind a yellow tape near the scene where a police shootout with suspects took place on Dec. 3, 2015, in San Bernardino, California. A heavily armed man and woman opened fire on a holiday banquet, killing multiple people and seriously wounding others in a precision assault, authorities said. Hours later, they died in a shootout with police.
Jae C. Hong/Ap Photo
Two women embrace at a community center where family members are gathering to pick up survivors after a shooting rampage that killed multiple people and wounded others at a social services center in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
David Mcnew/Getty Images
Employees and other people are evacuated by bus from the site of a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center on Dec. 2, 2015 in San Bernardino, California. Multiple fatalities were reported as police search for up to 3 suspects who are still at large.
New York Daily News
The front page of the New York Daily News for Oct. 2, 2015, came the day after a mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon at Umpqua Community College claimed the lives of 10 people. The headline reads, "87,423 AND NOTHING'S CHANGED."
Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images
Law enforcement officers investigate a suspicious bag, later found not to be a threat, on Victoria Avenue after a mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center on Dec. 2, 2015 in San Bernardino, California.
New York Daily News
On July 23, 2015, shooter John Russell Houser opened fire at a movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana during a screening of "Trainwreck," killing 2 people and himself. The front page headline read, "Rampage Nation."
New York Daily News
The front page from June 12, 2014 was in response to the June 10 shooting at Reynolds High School in Oregon, where one student was killed. The cover features NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre and headline, "After more gun deaths, still no comment from NRA's monstrous mouthpiece."
Knbc
Police cars line the 1300 block of S. Waterman in Bernardino, California after gunmen open fired on Dec. 2, 2015.
New York Daily News
At least 17 people were shot dead and 14 others were wounded when a former student opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. The suspected gunman, identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, opened fire on classrooms at the end of the school day, armed with a semiautomatic rifle and multiple magazines. The tragedy marks the 18th school shooting in 45 days. Look back at other Daily News front pages calling for change in response to some of the deadliest mass shootings since Sandy Hook in 2012.
Kabc
Inland Regional Center, a non-profit located across the street from the San Bernardino Public Golf Course can be seen in this aerial shot following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Doug Saunders/Ap Photo
People are evacuated by law enforcement agencies from the Inland Regional Center the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Police in San Bernardino, California, were responding to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility. There were reports of multiple victims, Lt. Rich Lawhead said Wednesday.
Knbc
An aerial shot captures the site of the deadly shooting that reportedly claimed the lives of a dozen people after gunmen open fired near a golf course in Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
New York Daily News
The front cover of the June 11, 2014 New York Daily News focused on the Reynolds High School Shooting in Troutdale, Oregon with a quote from President Obama, "There's no developed country on Earth that would put up with this. And it happens now once a week ... We should be ashamed."
Rachel Luna/Ap Photo
Police respond to the scene of an active shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility.
New York Daily News
Congress' deadly dereliction of duty: Less than a month after the massacre in Las Vegas, Republicans are blocking action on bump stocks, which let semiautomatics fire continuously.
Reuters
Rescue crews tend to the injured in the intersection outside the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California in this still image taken from video Dec. 2, 2015.
Jae C. Hong/Ap Photo
A woman wipes her tears at a community center where family members are gathering to pick up survivors after a shooting rampage that killed multiple people and wounded others at a social services center in San Bernardino, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015.
Abc
Police appear to be involved in a standoff with the suspected gunmen involved in the shooting of a center for the developmentally disabled in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Afp Photo
A police helicopter flies over a shooting scene in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Police were hunting for one or more gunmen who opened fire inside a building in San Bernardino in California, with reports of 20 victims. Heavily armed SWAT teams, firefighters and ambulances swarmed the scene, located about an hour east of Los Angeles, as police warned residents away. "San Bernardino Fire Department units responding to reports of 20 victim shooting incident in 1300 block of S. Waterman. SBPD is working to clear the scene," the city fire department said on Twitter.
Knbc
Emergency services carry a victim on a stretcher to ambulance following a mass shooting in Bernardino, California.
New York Daily News
On Dec. 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. Prior to the school rampage, Lanza shot and killed his mother inside their Newtown home. The front cover of the Daily News showed a tearful President Obama as he addressed the nation about the devastating massacre.
Chris Carlson/Ap Photo
Law enforcement search for a suspect in a mass shooting at a Southern California social services center in San Bernardino, California.
Mike Blake/Reuters
FBI and police continue their investigation around the area of the SUV vehicle where two suspects were shot by police following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 3, 2015.
New York Daily News
Perched on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort, gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on Route 91 Harvest country music festival on Las Vegas Strip, armed with 23 firearms, a dozen of which were fitted with bump stocks - a rapid-fire accessory which imitates automatic gunfire. What is now considered the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history, 59 people were killed and more than 515 were injured.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Police officers transport bystanders from the area after gunmen open fired at a social services agency in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. The San Bernardino Police Department said on Twitter that it had "confirmed 1 to 3 possible suspects" and multiple victims in the shooting. The agency called it an "active shooter" incident.
New York Daily News
In reaction to the Isla Vista killings, the Daily News front page highlights that the shooter showed signs of mental illness but was still able to purchase a gun legally, allowing him to kill 6 people and injure 13 other. The headline reads, "American in Denial."
Nbcla
A swat team surround a black SUV ridden in bullet holes following a shoot out with suspected gunmen of the Inland Regional Center massacre that left more than 14 people dead on Dec. 2, 2015.
Knbc
A swat team arrives to the scene of the mass shooting on a tank in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Knbc
A distressed victim holds her head as she is carried away in a stretcher following a mass shooting at the 1300 block of S. Waterman in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Abc
The vehicle used by the suspects in the San Bernardino shooting is seen at the 1300 block of S. Waterman with bullet holes in the windshield. It is unclear whether or not the police have apprehended the suspects at this time.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
The Inland Regional Center complex is pictured in an aerial photo following a shooting incident in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Gunmen opened fire on a holiday party at the social services agency, killing 14 people and wounding 17 others before fleeing, authorities said.
Abc
A body is seen on the street, likely of one of the shooting suspects, as police are involved in a standoff with the others. It has been reported that three gunmen opened fire inside of a San Bernardino, California center for the developmentally disabled killing at least 14 before fleeing.
Knbc
A victim is rushed to an ambulance following a mass shooting in San Bernadino, California on Dec. 2, 2015.
Doug Saunders/Ap
A swat team arrives at the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, California, on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility. Impromptu triage units were set up outside the Inland Regional Center.
New York Daily News
The US Senate votes in favor of continued mass killings.
Micah Escamilla/Ap Photos
People gather at San Bernardino Golf Course after being evacuated from the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility.
Daily News
Nothing's changed: Then-considered the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the Orlando club massacre claimed the lives of 50 people and injured 50 others. A man named Omar Mateen, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. Because of the NRA's opposition to an assault rifle ban, terrorists like this lunatic can legally buy a killing machine.
New York Daily News
After shooter John Russell Houser opened fire at a movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana killing 2 people and himself, the Daily News front page read, "America mourns its 204th mass shooting in 2015."
Ap Photo
A first responder attends to a person outside a Southern California social services center in San Bernardino, where authorities said multiple people were shot on Dec. 2, 2015.
Chris Carlson/Ap Photo
Law enforcement officers block a street near the site of a mass shooting that killed multiple people and wounded others at a social services center on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, in San Bernardino, California.
Doug Saunders/Ap
A swat team arrives at the scene of a shooting in San Bernardino, California on Dec. 2, 2015. Police responded to reports of an active shooter at a social services facility.

PUBLISHED: December 3, 2015 at 1:46 p.m. | UPDATED: April 9, 2018 at 5:31 a.m.

It’s the talk of the nation.

The Daily News’ provocative front page Thursday generated an intense reaction from lawmakers and readers on both sides of the gun-control debate.

FULL DAILY NEWS COVERAGE OF THE SAN BERNARDINO SHOOTING

“Wow,” a journalist at the Washington Post wrote on his blog when he saw the front page that said “God Isn’t Fixing This” in bold font.

The headline ran alongside social media posts from several pro-NRA politicians who responded to Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. with prayers — and no talk of policy.

SHAUN KING: PRAYERS DON’T STOP BULLETS

Many saw the front page as an opportunity to break the log-jam paralyzing gun reform.

“Never thought I’d say this, but well said #NYDaily News,” wrote a Twitter follower named Weijia.

“It would take #nydailynews to be the #voiceofreason … no amount of prayer is going to stop a person from killing another if they want to do so only thing we can do as human beings is be vigilant and not become a victim until #guncontrol #laws change,” Sir Jones Mag wrote on his Instagram alongside a picture of the front cover.

GOP CANDIDATES OFFER PRAYERS, NOT GUN CONTROL SOLUTIONS

“It tells the truth,” wrote ChristofPierson when Fox & Friends tweeted out the front page and asked, “What do you think of this?”

By noon Thursday, The News’ cover had been viewed more than 11 million times on the paper’s Facebook page — not including the countless number of viewers who saw it through the nearly 74,000 people who shared it.

It also set a new high for The News’ most retweeted post — breaking a record set in 2014 when the newspaper released video of the choking death of Staten Island dad Eric Garner.

EDITORIAL: WHEN WILL AMERICA WAKE UP?

More than 2 million Twitter users viewed Wednesday’s cover when it was released on social media.

Roughly 22,000 retweeted it — 9,000 more than the Garner video received.

A couple embraces following the shooting that killed multiple people at a social services facility.

Some reacted with horror and outrage — claiming the front page was an insult to the power of prayer.

“I’m outraged at the #nydailynews’s front page cover tomorrow. As a Christian, I can’t help but see the media’s constant influence on this generation and how atheism and the mockery of God is in vogue,” wrote B. Lommi Diaz.

CRUZ TO HOLD GUN EVENT FRIDAY AS U.S. MOURNS CALIFORNIA SHOOTING

“God works through people! Stand and do your part!!!! Shame #NYDailyNews spewing evil,” wrote Elle Vien, who tweets under God-Family-Country.

Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, who was among the GOP presidential nominee hopefuls who sent “thoughts and prayers,” was among those scandalized.

“This @NYDailyNews cover is deplorable. Genuine thoughts and prayers are not political fodder,” he said Thursday.

“This attack represents a fundamental problem with the media and politics in general. Attacking religious sentiments to promote an agenda as tragedy strikes is despicable,” Paul added in a longer statement.

Instead of “God isn’t fixing this,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick , a Republican, wrote “God hears our prayers.”

In Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted what he considered a new version of the cover but his headline left some Twitter users wondering what he meant. Instead of “God isn’t fixing this,” Patrick, a Republican, wrote “God hears our prayers.”

But many users ridiculed the headline, with some asking “14 dead because God hears his prayers? Not sure Dan thought this headline through…”

A “disappointed” Patrick eventually took down the tweet.

EDITORIAL: MAKING MASS MURDER EASY

The News’ editor-in-chief responded to readers in a statement Thursday.

“The Daily News’ front page is not, in any way, shape or form, condemning prayer or religion,” said Jim Rich.

“Anyone suggesting otherwise is either — intentionally or unintentionally — misconstruing the point, which is that most GOP politicians have offered nothing but empty platitudes and angry rhetoric in response to the ongoing plague of gun violence in our country.”