Article Point: People on the internet are calling for Las Vegas mass shooting to be labeled as a terrorist act

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How do we distinguish a crime from a terrorist attack? It’s a convoluted conversation that appears after every horrific mass shooting in America, and Sunday night’s Las Vegas attack—the deadliest in U.S. history—is no exception.

As many on Twitter have pointed out, the president did not use the words “terror” or “terrorist” during his remarks about the shooting, despite his flippant use of the term in previous instances on Twitter. Today, the word is the top dictionary lookup online, according to Merriam-Webster, who defines it as “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal.”

📈 ‘Terrorism’ is our top lookup today. https://t.co/Xu8LWQiqWy

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 2, 2017

Because of the history of racial and religious bias in conjunction with the word “terrorist,” folks on Twitter, including many celebrities, are using the platform to chastise the Trump administration and those who refer to the shooter as a “lone wolf” rather simply a “terrorist,” despite the amount of terror the shooting has invoked in citizens across the country.

This is terrorism plain and simple. Terror bares no race, gender or religion. Democrats & Republicans please unite now #guncontrol 🇺🇸

— xoxo, Gaga (@ladygaga) October 2, 2017

50 dead. Over 400 in the hospital. And we continue to call this a LONE WOLF? Call it TERRORISM because that’s what it is.

— Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) October 2, 2017

My heart is breaking for Las Vegas. We need love, unity, peace, gun control & for people to look at this & call this what it is = terrorism.

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) October 2, 2017

The lone wolf. The local shooter. The gunman. Any and everything, but terrorist. Wonder why.

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) October 2, 2017

I feel sick and heartbroken by this act of terrorism inside of our country. I have no words.

— Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) October 2, 2017

So, just (really) waking up. It’s not gonna be called “terrorism” is it…& a lot of “our hearts are with” & no NR—-man lemme stop

— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) October 2, 2017

It sickens me the ease in which a TERRORIST can be sold a GUN. Is the ease really worth all these lives ?! This needs to stop.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) October 2, 2017

Why is he not a “terrorist” why “lone wolf” he’s murdered over 50 people and injured nearly 500…ohhh! He’s not brown right? Got it. https://t.co/fhIpXnIUvg

— Lauren Jauregui (@LaurenJauregui) October 2, 2017

The worst mass shooting in US history occurred in Las Vegas. A white man opened fire on a music festival. Call it what it is. Terrorism.

— Bex Taylor-Klaus (@IBexWeBex) October 2, 2017

“Let’s wait until we hear his name before we label it terrorism or not.”

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) October 2, 2017

Domestic terrorism. It’s really not that hard to say.

— Christina Coleman (@ChrissyCole) October 2, 2017

100% terrorism, committed by a white male. Call it what it is. pic.twitter.com/Q858OWgY41

— EMI (@planet_emi) October 2, 2017

EVERY mass shooting should automatically be called “terrorism.” Later, the words “domestic” or “insert group name here” can be added.

— JEN KIRKMAN (@JenKirkman) October 2, 2017

what happened in las vegas was an act of terrorism. do not sugarcoat it just because the attacker was white. call it what it is.

— S. (@citybiebs) October 2, 2017

This was terrorism. Calling it anything else is dishonest and dangerous. People need to know. Call it what it is. Domestic terrorism.

— Reagan Gomez (@ReaganGomez) October 2, 2017

Question isn’t “do we call it terrorism?”

It’s “why do we allow people to so easily obtain mass murder tools?”

— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) October 2, 2017

This guy wasn’t a lone wolf shooter. He is a white American terrorist. LAS VEGAS shooting is an act of terrorism. Call it correctly

— Trey Bradley (@OfficialArteB6) October 2, 2017