Retired NYPD detective makes bizarre claim on Fox News linking shootings to vaccinations

A retired NYPD officer made a bizarre remark on Fox News, somehow managing to link shootings to the rising number of coronavirus vaccinations being administered in the US.

Pat Brosnan’s strange comment was in response to the mass shooting that took place in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, which left nine people dead.

The clip was shared by The Daily Beast’s contributing editor Justin Baragona on Twitter, where it began making the rounds.

In the segment, Brosnan talks about an apparent loss of respect for law enforcement – in reference to the fact it took place close to a police station – and making what appeared to be a sly dig at recent conversation over police reform and subsequent protests.

“The rules have changed,” he said. “Crimes are no longer illegal. There’s no longer enforcement of lots of laws. And there’s an empowerment of these active shooters.” 

At this point he goes into full conspiracy theory mode, linking the increasing number of vaccines to a surge in gun violence, before adding – with absolutely no basis for his assertion – that the suspected shooter was almost certainly vaccinated. And, yeah, we’re all pretty confused as to how he’s drawn this conclusion.

This is what he said:

“This is a time that I wish I was wrong with my prediction, which I mentioned to anybody who’d listen, that once COVID starts to lift, these cowardly shooters will come out exactly in tandem with the number of vaccinations. You can be sure they probably got vaccinated. They were just scared to come out. And they’re coming back and you see, the numbers don’t lie. The shootings are up dramatically. Skyrocketing actually on active shootings throughout the United States as we have come through this pandemic. It is terrifying stuff.”

Note: he wishes he was wrong...

Brosnan’s logic (we think) is basically that shooters are too scared of coronavirus to go and commit atrocities. Hmm.

People were, of course, quick to call out Brosnan on Twitter for his bizarre link, highlighting that a lack of gun control regulation is the real problem.

Helpfully, the host didn’t challenge his comments, so we’re none the wiser as to how he came to that conclusion. But it’s safe to say we’re not all that convinced, especially when last year was one of the worse years in two decades for gun violence - causing nearly 20,000 deaths, according to The Washington Post.