The New York Times wrote in 2017 that "each time The Onion publishes this particular headline, it seems to rocket around the internet with more force", and that the headline, "with each use, seemed to turn from cheeky political commentary on gun control into a reverberation of despair". Mashable wrote that "[n]othing captures that feeling of frustration and powerlessness" following major mass shootings as well as these Onion articles, adding that "[t]here's no shortage of brilliant Onion pieces, but none have resonated—or been as tragically prescient—like the 'No Way' post." The Washington Post wrote that, with these articles, The Onion "appears to capture the frustration and futility felt by so many people" following mass shootings, noting the increased Internet traffic the articles draw and how popular they are on social media. The Huffington Post cited these articles as "some of the most resonant commentary on the nation's total lack of action on gun violence", going on to say that they have become "a staple of the social media response to mass shootings", citing how widely shared they are on Facebook and Twitter. The Daily Beast mentioned the articles in a piece titled "How 'The Onion' Became One of the Strongest Voices for Gun Control". Similarly, Wired mentioned it in an article discussing the power of The Onion satire in the face of gun violence, titled "Only The Onion Can Save Us Now".