Parents of students who had been evacuated from Santa Fe High School in Texas following a school shooting that left 10 dead were shocked to find a man carrying a pistol approaching the school to comfort students.
The man, who was wearing a Trump cap and carrying an American flag, said he was walking in front of the school in order to "make America great again."
"These folks are having a rough morning and could use some support, and I think these are the kinds of support that they need right now," the man told told reporters.
"Offering support," the man said, when asked what his "plan of action" was. "'God bless y'all' will go a long ways right now for a lot of people."
A parent of a student called the man "an embarrassment."
"This guy right here is sick. I'm sorry, he's sick," the man told ABC. "He doesn't need to be walking around the school, carrying a flag and a pistol. He does not need to be out here doing that, and I'm glad they're stopping him."
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
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
