Conservative blogger shot up New York Times front page editorial on gun control

A conservative blogger and radio host used the historic New York Times front page editorial on gun control that published Saturday for target practice.

Erick Erickson, the outgoing editor-in-chief at the right-wing blog RedState and evening news host at Atlanta's WSB radio, shot up the front page, leaving behind seven holes. He posted an image of the bullet-riddled paper on Twitter and Instagram Saturday and called on his more than 140,000 social media followers to do the same. He also wanted them to use the hashtag #pewpew.

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This is what I think of the New York Times editorial today. The United States suffered its worst terrorist attacks since September 11 and the New York Times' response is that all law-abiding citizens need their guns taken away. Screw them. The New York Times wants you to be sitting ducks for a bunch of arms jihadists who the New York Times thinks no doubt got that way because of the United States. It should be striking to every American citizen that the New York Times believes the nation should have unfettered abortion rights, a right not made explicit in the Constitution, but can have the Second Amendment right curtailed at will though it is explicitly in the Constitution. Again, we have suffered the worst terrorist attack in more than a decade and the New York Times believes now we must have our rights taken away as a response to terrorism. I hope everyone will join me in posting pictures of bulletholes in the New York Times editorial. Send them your response. Use the hashtag for my radio show and I may give you a shoutout. #EERS #glock #pewpew #2A #guns @shotspotguns A photo posted by Erick Erickson (@ewerickson) on Dec 5, 2015 at 10:05am PST

The editorial entitled "The Gun Epidemic," the first one to run on the newspaper's front page since 1920, was prompted by a mass shooting at a holiday party in California this week that left 14 victims dead. The Times editorial board called on banning some guns and ammunition, like modified combat rifles, from civilian ownership, noting that despite the 2nd Amendment, "no right is unlimited and immune from reasonable regulation."

In the caption of his Instagram post, Erickson mischaracterizes the editorial, saying that the Times wants all law-abiding citizens to lose their guns. He also took issue with their swipe at the 2nd Amendment.

"Screw them. The New York Times wants you to be sitting ducks for a bunch of arms [sic] jihadists who the New York Times thinks no doubt got that way because of the United States," Erickson writes, describing the San Bernardino shooting Wednesday as a terrorist attack.

Although a motive for the San Bernardino, California shooting has yet to be determined, authorities have said the attack is being investigated as terrorism, although there's no indication as of now that the husband-and-wife shooters were part of a larger terrorist cell. There is evidence, however, that makes authorities believe the suspects had been radicalized, officials told President Barack Obama Saturday morning.

Erickson got a few notes of encouragement on social media, but the majority of responses to his tweet were negative, with several poking fun at the stunt. And his aim, since the bullet holes weren't grouped tightly together.

Erickson's response: "I wanted to cover it top to bottom. That was intentional."