A college student in the United States has added an unexpected layer to the heated firearm debate taking place among the country’s young people with a single, provocative social media post.

Brenna Spencer, 22, last week tweeted a photo of herself lifting up her hot pink ‘Women for Trump’ t-shirt to reveal a handgun shoved down the front of her white jeans.

“I don’t take normal college graduation photos,” she captioned the image.

Surprisingly, the photo incited anger among both pro- and anti-gun advocates, amassing 13,000 comments and more than 14,000 retweets.

Some took issue with Ms Spencer using a firearm to make a statement, while others demonstrated concern the gun was not holstered correctly.

“I’m 100% pro gun but brandishing a firearm for a photo shoot or showing it off to try and look cool is just stupid. They are tools. Why brag about carrying a gun?” Twitter user Reed asked Ms Spencer.

“Because I’m proud of my second amendment right and I want to empower other women!” Ms Spencer responded.

“Absolutely they are tools but I will always brag about being able to carry a gun to protect myself, my friends and my family!”

I don’t take normal college graduation photos… pic.twitter.com/eI1NvLFYHs

— Brenna Spencer (@BrennaSpencer) April 7, 2018

Ms Spencer, who is set to graduate from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga in May with a major in communications and a minor in political science, said she was surprised by some of the backlash she received.

Speaking to Fox News, she said: “Taking my graduation photos I figured that I wanted them to … represent the person that I am.

“Sexual assault has grabbed a lot of attention these last few years, especially on college campuses, so I think it’s important for women to know they are their first line of defence.”

Her tweet inspired other women to share photos of themselves carrying firearms, including Ms Spencer’s good friend and self-described “NRA life member” Alana Mastrangelo.

“Here I am in solidarity with Brenna, also carrying in public. We will NOT allow for Leftist intimidation tactics to hinder our inalienable #2A rights,” Mastrangelo tweeted alongside a photo of herself in Cleveland, Ohio, sporting a handgun attached to her belt.

ABC News called the police on my friend, Brenna Spencer (probably hoping to get a better story).

Here I am in solidarity with Brenna, also carrying in public. We will NOT allow for Leftist intimidation tactics to hinder our inalienable #2A rights. pic.twitter.com/qzv9adtm9G

— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) April 11, 2018

While gun control is a perennially hot topic in the US, it has been at the forefront of the news in recent weeks following a shooting massacre at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

On February 14, gunman Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people, the youngest of them 14, prompting a renewed debate on gun control.

President Donald Trump suggested arming school teachers as a solution to gun violence.

The backlash was so great that activists, led by several of the teenage survivors of the Florida shooting, organised a nationwide ‘March for Our Lives’ on March 24, with the main march taking place in Washington, with hundreds of sister marches in other cities.

On the opposite side of the fence to Ms Spencer is 18-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Emma Gonzalez, who lost friends in the Florida shooting.

Ms Gonzalez was thrust into the spotlight after delivering a powerful speech at a February 17 rally shortly after the massacre in which she called “bulls–––” on gun laws in America.

“The people in the government who are voted into power are lying to us … And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and are prepared to call BS.”