A sheriff's department in Colorado apologized after receiving criticism for posting a picture of Santa Claus applying for a concealed handgun permit days after the school shooting in Oxford, Michigan.

"Guess who came in to receive his Concealed Handgun Permit today?" the El Paso County Sheriff's Office tweeted Friday with a Santa emoji. "Did you know the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has issued 49,750 Concealed Handgun Permits with another 2,560 awaiting to be issued?"

The post featured a picture of a man, presented to be Santa, sitting across from a sheriff's office staffer and applying for a permit.

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The tweet received criticism for what many called inappropriate content and timing.


The post came three days after 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley allegedly shot and killed four people at a Michigan high school.

"I'm sitting here in downtown Oxford, MI, waiting for the candlelight vigil to start to pay tribute to 4 students who were murdered by a handgun smuggled into the school," one Twitter user responded to the post. "But by all means, tell kids Santa carries a concealed weapon."


"That the El Paso County Sheriff's Office finds it okay to promote Santa getting a gun after a child shot & killed his classmates this week, is deeply misguided & deranged," Alessandra Biaggi, a Democratic politician from New York, wrote.


The sheriff's office apologized hours after the initial post.


"EPSO intended to highlight our staff in the Concealed Handgun Permit Office, not to be insensitive," the apology read. "Santa correlates to the month of December and we thought he would help to recognize our hard working staff."

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The El Paso County Sheriff Department did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.