America is mourning the tragic Robb Elementary School shooting that took place in Uvalde, TX, on Tuesday. Messages from public figures and politicians have been pouring in since, and former president Barack Obama is among those who have spoken out.
Hours after the mass shooting, Obama tweeted a series of statements. “Across the country, parents are putting their children to bed, reading stories, singing lullabies-and in the back of their minds, they’re worried about what might happen tomorrow after they drop their kids off at school, or take them to a grocery store or any other public space,” he wrote in one tweet. He also said that he and former first lady Michelle Obama are grieving alongside the affected families in Uvalde, who are “experiencing pain no one should have to bear.”
“We’re also angry for them,” he added in another tweet. “Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook-and ten days after Buffalo-our country is paralysed, 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. . . . 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.”
Obama’s statements come almost ten years after he addressed the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting during a White House press conference in 2012. Twenty children and six adults were killed in the incident. The New York Times reports that the Uvalde shooting is considered the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook. It’s also the 27th shooting to take place at a K-12 school in 2022.
On May 24, 19 children and two teachers were killed by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School. Ramos is also suspected of shooting his grandmother before the school shooting. Authorities say she remains hospitalised in critical condition. Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez told CNN that authorities have since identified all victims at the scene and notified their families. The Texas shooting follows fatal incidents that occurred at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY, and a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, CA, less than two weeks ago.
If you want to help the families affected by the Uvalde shooting, GoFundMe has created a hub of verified fundraisers people can donate to, and the city of Uvalde is collecting monetary donations to cover medical expenses. The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District also opened up the Robb Elementary Memorial Fund.
