Following the senseless shooting deaths of 19 fourth-grade elementary students and their dedicated teachers in Texas, the public is sharing in the unimaginable grief. .Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Tuesday's massacre a "senseless crime" in a statement he shared on Twitter. ."Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and urge all Texans to come together," he said in the tweet. ."Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde." .Abbott said he has called on the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to begin a full investigation into the shooting. He also directed the Texas flag be lowered to half-staff "in memory of those who lost their lives" in the Robb Elementary school shooting. .Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it a "dark day" in a post on Twitter and said he and his wife, Heidi, "are lifting up in prayer the entire Uvalde community during this devastating time." .Cruz said he was grateful to the "heroes in law enforcement and first responders" who stopped the shooter at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday. ."We’ve seen too many of these shootings. No parent should have to bear the pain of burying their child. We need to come together, as one nation, and support Uvalde as they try to heal from this devastating loss.".Texas governor candidate, Beto O'Rourke, outspoken against gun violence in the US, took to Twitter to slam current Texas Gov. Abbott for not doing enough to prevent mass shootings.."These massacres aren't natural disasters, acts of God, or random," said O'Rourke in his tweet. "They are totally predictable, direct consequences of the choices made by Greg Abbott and the majority of those in the legislature." .In a separate tweet, O'Rourke called on Gov. Abbott to "immediately withdraw from this weekend's [National Rifle Association] NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas." .During a Wednesday news conference, O'Rourke confronted Abbott who was addressing the media regarding the school shooting. .Clip courtesy TMZ via CNN.O'Rourke told Abbott he is "doing nothing" to stop the next school shooting, while several people on stage with Abbott called for O'Rourke to leave. One man shouted that O'Rourke was "out of line" and called him a "sick son-of-a-b----" for turning the Governor's update on the shooting into a "political issue." .O'Rourke was quickly escorted outside by law officials where he continued to slam Abbott to surrounding on-lookers and media. .O'Rourke called for universal background checks for gun purchases, extreme-risk protection orders and safe-storage laws as ways to prevent more mass shootings. ."Now is the time to stop the next shooting," he said highlighting the State of Texas has seen "five of the worst mass shootings in US history." .Abbott and Cruz, among others, are scheduled to appear at the gun advocacy organization's convention in Houston on Friday. Former president Donald Trump said he plans to also speak at the event. .The NRA released a statement on Wednesday calling the shooting a "horrific and evil crime," but confirmed its annual meeting will proceed as planned. ."As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure," said the group..Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said she is "heartbroken by another tragedy related to gun violence." ."The senseless loss of each child and educator is a reminder that gun violence is a serious public health threat that must be addressed," said Walensky in a released statement on Wednesday.."As we mourn and reflect on another agonizing act of violence in this country, we must strengthen our commitment to action toward protecting all families and communities from these too frequent and devastating tragedies.”.Actor Matthew McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, Texas, tweeted his heartbreak for those involved and called for Texans to "re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs." ."We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastation American reality that has tragically become our children's issue," said McConaughey in a statement. ."This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better." ."Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured.".Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors coach, gave an emotional address ahead of Tuesday night's Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, calling for change to gun laws. ."When are we going to do something?," Kerr yelled while slamming his fist on the table. ."I'm tired. I'm so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there."."I am so tired of the, excuse, I'm sorry — I am tired of moments of silence. Enough!" .Kerr, whose father was shot and killed during a terrorist attack in Beirut in 1984, has since been outspoken against gun violence. .Steph Curry, after the Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, spoke of Kerr's "emotional speech" in a presser following the game. ."I've got kids ... send them to school everyday, drop them off," said Curry. ."And you feel for the parents that are, you know, going through what they're going through. I can't even imagine the pain, so for coach to come up here and say what he said — every word that he said was powerful, was meaningful." .Former president Barack Obama also put out a thread on Twitter and said he and Michelle are grieving "with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear." ."Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook — and ten days after Buffalo — our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies," he said. ."It’s long past time for action, any kind of action. And it’s another tragedy — a quieter but no less tragic one — for families to wait another day."
Following the senseless shooting deaths of 19 fourth-grade elementary students and their dedicated teachers in Texas, the public is sharing in the unimaginable grief. .Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Tuesday's massacre a "senseless crime" in a statement he shared on Twitter. ."Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and urge all Texans to come together," he said in the tweet. ."Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde." .Abbott said he has called on the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to begin a full investigation into the shooting. He also directed the Texas flag be lowered to half-staff "in memory of those who lost their lives" in the Robb Elementary school shooting. .Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called it a "dark day" in a post on Twitter and said he and his wife, Heidi, "are lifting up in prayer the entire Uvalde community during this devastating time." .Cruz said he was grateful to the "heroes in law enforcement and first responders" who stopped the shooter at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday. ."We’ve seen too many of these shootings. No parent should have to bear the pain of burying their child. We need to come together, as one nation, and support Uvalde as they try to heal from this devastating loss.".Texas governor candidate, Beto O'Rourke, outspoken against gun violence in the US, took to Twitter to slam current Texas Gov. Abbott for not doing enough to prevent mass shootings.."These massacres aren't natural disasters, acts of God, or random," said O'Rourke in his tweet. "They are totally predictable, direct consequences of the choices made by Greg Abbott and the majority of those in the legislature." .In a separate tweet, O'Rourke called on Gov. Abbott to "immediately withdraw from this weekend's [National Rifle Association] NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas." .During a Wednesday news conference, O'Rourke confronted Abbott who was addressing the media regarding the school shooting. .Clip courtesy TMZ via CNN.O'Rourke told Abbott he is "doing nothing" to stop the next school shooting, while several people on stage with Abbott called for O'Rourke to leave. One man shouted that O'Rourke was "out of line" and called him a "sick son-of-a-b----" for turning the Governor's update on the shooting into a "political issue." .O'Rourke was quickly escorted outside by law officials where he continued to slam Abbott to surrounding on-lookers and media. .O'Rourke called for universal background checks for gun purchases, extreme-risk protection orders and safe-storage laws as ways to prevent more mass shootings. ."Now is the time to stop the next shooting," he said highlighting the State of Texas has seen "five of the worst mass shootings in US history." .Abbott and Cruz, among others, are scheduled to appear at the gun advocacy organization's convention in Houston on Friday. Former president Donald Trump said he plans to also speak at the event. .The NRA released a statement on Wednesday calling the shooting a "horrific and evil crime," but confirmed its annual meeting will proceed as planned. ."As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure," said the group..Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said she is "heartbroken by another tragedy related to gun violence." ."The senseless loss of each child and educator is a reminder that gun violence is a serious public health threat that must be addressed," said Walensky in a released statement on Wednesday.."As we mourn and reflect on another agonizing act of violence in this country, we must strengthen our commitment to action toward protecting all families and communities from these too frequent and devastating tragedies.”.Actor Matthew McConaughey, who is from Uvalde, Texas, tweeted his heartbreak for those involved and called for Texans to "re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs." ."We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastation American reality that has tragically become our children's issue," said McConaughey in a statement. ."This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better." ."Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured.".Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors coach, gave an emotional address ahead of Tuesday night's Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, calling for change to gun laws. ."When are we going to do something?," Kerr yelled while slamming his fist on the table. ."I'm tired. I'm so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there."."I am so tired of the, excuse, I'm sorry — I am tired of moments of silence. Enough!" .Kerr, whose father was shot and killed during a terrorist attack in Beirut in 1984, has since been outspoken against gun violence. .Steph Curry, after the Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, spoke of Kerr's "emotional speech" in a presser following the game. ."I've got kids ... send them to school everyday, drop them off," said Curry. ."And you feel for the parents that are, you know, going through what they're going through. I can't even imagine the pain, so for coach to come up here and say what he said — every word that he said was powerful, was meaningful." .Former president Barack Obama also put out a thread on Twitter and said he and Michelle are grieving "with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear." ."Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook — and ten days after Buffalo — our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies," he said. ."It’s long past time for action, any kind of action. And it’s another tragedy — a quieter but no less tragic one — for families to wait another day."
