Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Friday called the mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques "awful" and expressed he was troubled by the social media role in the event.
"Anybody being attacked is terrible. When you focus on someone because of their faith at their place of worship, it's especially disheartening," Kinzinger said on "Fox & Friends."
At least 49 people were killed in mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques full of worshippers attending Friday prayers on what the prime minister called "one of New Zealand's darkest days.
One man was arrested and charged with murder in what appeared to be a carefully planned hate crime. Police also defused explosive devices in a car.
The alleged shooter, who describes himself as a racist, wrote a lengthy anti-immigrant manifesto.
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"Thoughts and prayers and we mean it. Thoughts and prayers are impactful. Please pray for the people that are going through this," Kinznger added.
Co-host Brian Kilmeade brought up a tweet made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dismissing 'thoughts and prayers.'
"What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?" Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
"When I saw that it just doubled down my determination to tell people," Kinzinger said. "Prayer means something, faith means something and I think even though we all have different faiths lets all stand together at this moment."
Prayer means something, faith means something and I think even though we all have different faiths lets all stand together at this moment.
"What's the balance between your freedoms? Your ability to do what you want on social media versus people who try to seek fame or notoriety through something like this," Kinzinger said.
"I don't know how to get a hold of this but we got to get to a society where people quit trying to chase this fame, this hollow fame whether it's through horrible actions or anything else. Be confident in who you are. Go ahead with your life."
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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