On May 25, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, officials confirmed. At least nine more children were reportedly injured.
Robb Elementary School teaches second through fourth grades, and students are generally between the ages of 7 and 10. Ninety percent of the students are Hispanic, and 81 percent are considered economically disadvantaged, according to state data. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement that the 18-year-old active shooter, Salvador Ramos, shot and killed “horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher.” The shooter is also suspected of shooting his grandmother. The shooter himself is deceased, and it is believed that responding officers killed him, Abbott said.
The tragedy marks the 27th shooting at a K-12 school since the start of 2022, meaning there has been a mass shooting roughly once every 5.3 days this year. It comes only a little over a week after 10 people were killed in a shooting in a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. One day later, one person died and five people were injured in a shooting in a church in California.
Celebrities, politicians, and public figures such as President Joe Biden, former president Barack Obama, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr have spoken out about the most recent of this string of senseless, entirely preventable tragedies. Read their statements ahead.
If you’re looking for more information on how to get involved in the fight against gun violence, Everytown offers a wealth of resources. Newtown Action Alliance also offers resources and opportunities to get involved in the movement for gun control.