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Graduation Photo With Gun Goes Viral, Sparks Controversy

Graduation Photo With Gun Goes Viral, Sparks Controversy
A college student's graduation photo in which she poses with a gun is causing mixed reactions. (Sutisa Kangvansap/Dreamstime.com)

By    |   Tuesday, 10 April 2018 03:59 PM EDT

A graduation photo including a gun posted to social media sparked controversy after 22-year-old University of Tennessee student Brenna Spencer lifted her "Women for Trump" T-shirt to reveal a handgun tucked into her waistband.

The photo, carrying the caption "I don’t take normal college graduation photos..." was posted Saturday and had been retweeted more than 10,000 times and received more than 75,000 likes by Tuesday afternoon.

Spencer told ABC News she was surprised by the amount of response her post received.

"I did think that it would get a little attention but not to this degree," she told the network. "It was really, really surprising to see the amount of hate that I got."

The photo was taken outside the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, prompting some to question the legality of Spencer's actions.

"I know the Tennessee state gun codes," Spencer told ABC News, explaining that she did not enter the museum, which bans guns inside.

Spencer is set to graduate with a degree in communication and a minor in political science. She works for the conservative nonprofit Turning Point, the New York Post noted.

Twitter users shared mixed reactions.

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TheWire
University of Tennessee student Brenna Spencer sparked controversy when she Tweeted a graduation photo showing a handgun tucked into the waistband of her jeans.
graduation, photo, gun, tennessee
429
2018-59-10
Tuesday, 10 April 2018 03:59 PM
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