Subject of Pro-Gun Control BuzzFeed Article Deletes Entire Twitter Account Without Explanation

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Nov 14, 2018

A surgical fellow whose pro-gun control Tweet was featured in a recently-published BuzzFeed article has deleted his entire Twitter account without explanation.

“Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane,” the National Rifle Association Tweeted that after last week’s deadly shooting in Thousand Oaks, California. The NRA Tweet was in response to several doctors sharing photos of themselves working on alleged gunshot victims.

The BuzzFeed piece, called “Doctors Are Sharing Gruesome Photos Of What It’s Like To Treat Gun Violence Victims,” was celebratory in nature. It was a smug “gotcha”style hit on the NRA.

One of the doctors whose Tweets went viral, and who was subsequently profiled by BuzzFeed was Robert Lyons, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon and fellow of UCLA’s thoracic surgery program.

“16 y/o GSW to the Aorta. @NRA his mother is in the waiting room,” Lyons said on Twitter, attaching the following photo:

“Should you tell her he didnt make it? Didnt think so. #stayinmylane #ThisISMyLane,” the Tweet continued.

But shortly after the piece was published, Lyons deleted his entire account:

“Robert Lyons, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, told BuzzFeed News that ‘the raw emotion of that moment stays with every physician for the rest of their life,’ according to the article.

Big League Politics reached out to Remy Smidt, author of the piece to ask why Lyons would take such abrupt action. She did not respond to the comment request.

Big League Politics spoke with Lorraine Hartman, Program Coordinator for UCLA’s Division of Cardiac Surgery and Division of Thoracic Surgery.

When asked if their residents – including Lyons – handle gunshot wounds, she became skittish and declined to answer. There are HIPPA laws that potentially prevent disclosure of such information. When asked if she was barred from answering for legal reasons, she said she would simply rather not comment, and directed BLP to UCLA’s undergraduate legal assistance office for students, who said they could not help, and did not know who could answer the question.

Why would a man, who days ago was proudly chewing out the NRA delete his account in such short order? That question remains a mystery.