CEO Cook asks for end of 'finger pointing' following two mass shootings

Following a second mass shooting in a 24-hour period in the United States, Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed his support for the victims and families while also declaring a need for politicians to stop arguing and to 'address this violence for the good of our country.'

On Saturday, a gunman killed 20 people and injured 26 at a shopping mall in El Paso, Texas. The mass shooting is currently being investigated as a case of domestic terrorism, and a possible hate crime, one which has reignited the gun control debate online.

A second shooting took place on Sunday in Dayton Ohio, with initial reports claiming there to have been nine deaths and at least 27 injured. Early investigations involving the FBI and police have yet to reveal a motive for the attack.

Shortly after each of the attacks, Tim Cook took to Twitter advising he was praying for the victims and their families in each of the locations, as well as thanking the first responders for their speed and courage. Cook also said the "Team at Apple Cielo Vista and the entire El Paso community are close to our hearts," referring to the Apple Store located in the mall, but was not the venue of the attack itself.

I'm heartbroken about what's happening in my country. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. It's time for good people with different views to stop finger pointing and come together to address this violence for the good of our country.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 4, 2019

Within minutes of sending the second tweet about the Dayton attack, Cook posted a third about the continuing trend of mass shootings in the United States. "I'm heartbroken about what's happening in my country," starts Cook.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results," he continued. "It's time for good people with different views to stop finger pointing and come together to address this violence for the good of our country."

Cook's tweet struck a chord with his followers, generating over 2.7 thousand retweets, 11.9 thousand likes, and over 310 comments in just over an hour after posting.

The CEO regularly expresses his condolences to victims of shootings and other accidents and emergencies on Twitter, including recently a shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.

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