Glee star Jane Lynch felt "horrible" when the grieving parents of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre victims expressed their rage last week (ends12Apr13) for the timing of a school shooting episode.

Lynch, whose character Sue Sylvester lost her job after taking the blame for the gunshots accidentally fired at William MCKinley High School, admits she was shocked when she first read the script for the Shooting Star episode, but she still feels it was a good idea to address the issues of violence and weapons in schools.

She tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood Live, "We're always rather topical and rather current... I think it means a lot to (show creator) Ryan Murphy that we comment on anything, especially things that effect kids.

"It was shocking to read. No one was shot but just the fact there was a gun in the school... I'm glad he wrote the episode, but it was shocking."

But then came the feedback from parents, who insisted the episode, which aired on Thursday (11Apr13) - just four months after 20 kids were killed in the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy - was poorly timed and insensitive.

Parents of the Sandy Hook victims lashed out, stating they should have been alerted to the programme.

Lynch adds, "I was a little surprised about the feedback... A lot of people were upset about it... and that I feel horrible about. If we added to anybody's pain, that's just certainly not what any of us wanted.

"Guns come into schools and they shouldn't be there and mistakes happen and then there are people coming with intent to hurt and to harm... It's very current and (we) really need to look at it and we really need to protect the kids... It's what's going on."