Debut of TV thriller Shooter delayed by USA Network after Dallas shooting

The USA Network is delaying, by one week,ofthe release of its new sniperthriller Shooter.

The decision comesafter theJuly 7shooting in Dallas, that saw fivepolice officers killed in asniper attack by a U.S. Army vet.

The upcoming TV series, which stars Ryan Phillippe and Omar Epps, focuses on a former army sniper accused of a crime.However, in the case of the show,the shooter character is considered an American hero and is trying to clear his reputation after beingframed.

The seriesisbased on the 2007 MarkWahlbergmovieof the same name.

Producers said they feltchanging the original July 19 release dateis the appropriate decision.

"In light of recent tragic events and out of respect for the victims, their families and our viewers, we have decided to postpone the premiere date for the upcoming USA Network series Shooter to July 26," a networkspokesperson said Monday in an exclusivestatement to TheHollywood Reporter.

The American cable channel faced a similar situation last year. USA Networkdecided to hold an episode ofMr. Robot thatcentredon ashooting on live television, followinga real-life incident where a Virginia TV reporter and cameraman were shot dead live on air.

There are manyexamples from other networks as well.Recently, TNT'sThe Last Ship postponedits season premiere,which included a shooting scene in a Vietnamese nightclub that closely mirrored the Orlando, Fla. nightclub massacre.

The social media response to the postponement announcementoffered asobering messageabout the state of violence in the U.S.