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Mark Critch Photo Mocking Harper Is A 'F**king Embarrassment': MP Michelle Rempel

Mark Critch's caption is an apparent reference to what unfolded during the Parliament Hill shooting.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel ripped into a CBC comedian for mocking Stephen Harper during 2014's Parliament Hill shooting.

Mark Critch from "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" published an Instagram photo of himself on Friday with the caption: "Stephen Harper stepped down. Here I am in his closet."

It's an apparent reference to the situation that unfolded in October 2014 as gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed reservist Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial and then stormed into the Parliament building.

MPs and staffers all ran for safety as gunshots rang out. The Hill was locked down for several hours. Then-prime minister Harper reportedly ducked into a closet, according to CBC News, and then was moved to a more secure location. The RCMP commissioner later said that Harper followed "exactly" the training he had received.

Critch published the photo to mark Harper's announcement that he's stepping down as Calgary Heritage MP, marking the end of more than a decade in Canadian politics.

But the comedian's post did not go over well with Rempel — or many others on social media.

"I don't really have words to describe my disgust at this post of yours," Rempel wrote in a series of tweets.

"May you never have to experience hearing gunshots coming towards you while you're in a confined space. May you never have to choose between running for your life or trying to protect your friends from the unknown. May you never have a panic attack in a movie (that) has gunshots in it two years after running for your life."

Political commentator Warren Kinsella also didn't mince words in a blog post calling Critch an "asshole."

However, others were not impressed with Rempel's choice of language.

Rempel later apologized on Twitter for her use of "expletives."

Critch's post has since been deleted from Instagram but not before people could add their reaction. "Joking about a terrorist attack? Shameful" read one comment.

Critch told CBC News in a statement on Saturday: "Michelle and I had a good conversation. She wrote me an apology for flaming out and I deleted the picture. No hard feelings on either side."

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