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ATF Asking People To Turn In Exes On Valentine’s Day

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  • A Twitter post by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) calling on people to turn in exes on Valentine’s Day was slammed by congressional candidates, conservative media figures and gun rights groups Monday.
  • “Valentine’s Day can still be fun even if you broke up. Do you have information about a former (or current) partner involved in illegal gun activity? Let us know, and we will make sure it’s a Valentine’s Day to remember!” the ATF post said.
  • At least one user raised the prospect of a tragic outcome to the ATF’s tweet.

A federal law enforcement agency is taking internet heat for its suggestion that people should turn in exes on Valentine’s Day.

“Valentine’s Day can still be fun even if you broke up. Do you have information about a former (or current) partner involved in illegal gun activity? Let us know, and we will make sure it’s a Valentine’s Day to remember!” the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) posted Monday.

Candidates for office, conservative media figures, and gun rights advocacy organizations slammed the agency in response. (RELATED: White House To Withdraw Biden’s Pro-Gun Control ATF Nominee Amid Bipartisan Pushback)

“Abolish the ATF,” Josh Mandel, a candidate for the Republican nomination to replace retiring Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, tweeted.

“Why don’t you guys focus on Mexican drug cartels?” J.D. Vance, who is running against Mandel, posted.

“Hunter Biden lied on a Form 4473 to purchase a gun he wasn’t legally allowed to possess. Is that still a crime, or is it okay if you’re the corrupt, crackhead son of the president?” Sean Davis, co-founder of the Federalist, asked on Twitter.

“Hi @ATFHQ — I’d like to report Barack Obama and Joe Biden who oversaw guns being run to Mexican Cartels who then used the guns to kill people,” Tennessee congressional candidate Robby Starbuck tweeted at the ATF.

“What if it’s your own government for a gun-running op called Fast and Furious? Weren’t you guys involved in that?” conservative talk show host Dana Loesch asked.

“Just when you thought the ATF’s twitter couldn’t get worse,” the Firearms Policy Coalition said in a tweet.

Some users raised questions about whether the ATF’s post on Twitter could lead to a tragic outcome. (RELATED: Court Sentences Man To 20 Years In Prison For ‘Swatting’-Related Death)

“What could go wrong when it comes to the ATF and SWATTING people for ‘fun’?” Michael Praats asked in a post.

“Wherein the ATF not only encourages, but makes a joke about swatting ex boyfriends,” a second user posted.

“The fight to protect the public from firearm-related violence is not just up to law enforcement; it’s a partnership between our communities and law enforcement. We look to those who live within the communities we protect, to provide law enforcement with real time intelligence as to violent offenders,” April Langwell, chief of the ATF’s public affairs division, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.

“This tweet was generated to ask our followers to report illegal gun trafficking, which directly impacts violent crime nationwide,” she added.

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