The Australian mayor of Annapolis, Gavin Buckley, said he is disappointed that US President Donald Trump declined to order American flags be lowered to half-mast across the US to honour the five employees shot dead at The Capital newspaper.
Perth-raised Mr Buckley, elected Annapolis mayor last year, submitted the flag request to the White House over the weekend.
Mr Trump ordered flags be lowered for recent mass-shootings at Florida and Texas high schools, but declined for the Annapolis tragedy.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed ... Is there a cutoff for tragedy?" Mr Buckley told the Baltimore Sun on Monday."This was an attack on the press ... It was an attack on freedom of speech."
Mr Buckley said his wife talked him out of pushing ahead without the president's approval and lowering flags in Annapolis, the capital of the US state of Maryland.
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"At this point in time, it would start to polarise people and I don't want to make people angry," Mr Buckley said.
Jarrod Warren Ramos, 38, is accused of walking into The Capital newspaper on Thursday and shooting dead five employees with a shotgun.
Mr Ramos, who reportedly had a long-running dispute with the newspaper, was arrested in the newsroom just minutes after he opened fire.
The White House did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.
