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Who is Keith Self? Rep slammed for invoking 'god' in response to those calling for action after Allen mass shooting

The massacre took place on Saturday, May 6 when an unidentified gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets

ALLEN, TEXAS: A Republican Congressman from Texas came under fire after he invoked 'almighty god' in response to gun critics who say that prayers aren't enough in the wake of a horrific Texas mall shooting that killed at least nine people. The massacre took place on Saturday, May 6 when an unidentified gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor outlet mall in suburban Texas.

Following the tragedy, Rep. Keith Self, who represents Texas' 3rd Congressional District that includes Allen, called for 'thoughts and prayers for those affected. Self told CNN's Paula Reid that he is "of course" worried about the surge in such gun violence before looking to other matters of “violence.” Then Reid asked him about the criticism that “prayers aren’t cutting it” when it comes to addressing gun violence. 'Many people argue that prayers are not cutting it. Prayers are not preventing the next mass shooting. What is your response to that criticism?" the anchor on CNN asked, according to Daily Mail.

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In response, the congressman questioned the faith of critics, saying ‘those are people that don't believe in an almighty god who is absolutely in control of our lives. I'm a Christian. I believe that he is. We have people with mental health that we are not taking care of.' When asked if he was concerned about the rise in violent occurrences across the US, Self said that he did not want to use the tragedy as a political talking point but did point out that there was violence in "big [Democrat] cities."

“Keith Self just basically told you he not gonna do a damn thing”

'Any time there is violence, whether it be in one of the big cities — riots or trashing of stores in Chicago — or shootings like this. This is a very safe area. This is not usual. I know that we hear about the number of deaths in Chicago. This is not usual in this area. So I'm certainly concerned about this,' Self said, according to Insider. Congressman Self’s remark soon garnered immense social media attention, with many users asking whether God is now responsible for deaths due to gun violence. ‘Rep. Keith Self: it's not the guns that's the problem, God is sending them to kill us.,’ one user wrote.

“Watching Rep Keith Self on CNN talk about the shooting in his district. He’s got no answers but prayer and anchor aren’t letting him get away w/it. What a clown; Texas has the weakest men in the USA for GOP,” the second user said while the third fumed ‘Keith Self just basically told you he not gonna do a damn thing. Believe him.’ ‘Rep Keith Self is such an a**hole right now on CNN. He is thinking that prayer is the way forward to prevent further murders by gunmen. And he was elected!!! How can someone be so stupid,’ another wrote.

Who is Keith Self?

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Self is a member of the U.S. House, representing Texas' 3rd Congressional District. He won the general election on November 8, 2022. Before making his way to politics, Self served in the U.S. Army from 1975 to 2003. He was a member of the Army Special Forces and Army Rangers. He was deployed to Qatar, Egypt, Germany, Afghanistan, and Belgium. In 1975, he graduated from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor's degree, and in 1981, he attained a graduate degree from the University of Southern California, according to Ballot Pedia.