At least 19 children and two adults were brutally murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook, in 2012. The level of violence, committed by an 18-year-old with assault weapons, is such that parents waiting to hear their children’s fate are reportedly being asked to give DNA samples to compare to bodies that otherwise are unidentifiable. Tuesday night, local reporter Leigh Waldman tweeted, “We just heard screams inside the civic center. Yet another family hearing the worst news possible.”
This is horror that should be beyond imagining, yet every parent in this country has to imagine it all too often, because what should be beyond imagining is reality in the United States of America.
RELATED STORY: 'We have to act': Biden calls for stricter gun laws in wake of Uvalde, Texas shooting
Victims identified so far include teachers Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia, 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, 10-year-old Xavier Lopez, 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, and 10-year-old Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez. You can see their pictures and words from their families below.
The response to the massacre from lawmakers has been predictable. President Joe Biden called for action. “It’s time to turn this pain into action,” Biden said. “For every parent, for every citizen of this country, we have to make it clear to every elected official of this country: It’s time to act. It’s time—for those who’ve struck or delayed or blocked the common sense gun laws—we need to let you know that we will not forget. We can do so much more, we have to do more.”
Sen. Joe Manchin expressed anguish—but not support for ending the filibuster to pass gun legislation.
Republicans offered thoughts and prayers and absolute opposition to any legislation that might make this happen less often. At least one Republican House member joined the far right in spreading false rumors about the alleged shooter. Notably, while Republicans often argue that more armed police and guards and even teachers in and around schools would prevent such killings, in this case, law enforcement had engaged with the suspect before he entered the school, and were unable to stop him.
Meanwhile, two funeral homes in Uvalde announced that they would not charge the families of victims for their services. This is it. This is the United States of America. Free funerals for slaughtered children and obstruction of any effort to stop the slaughter.
RELATED STORIES:
The people who did this
NBA coach Steve Kerr slams Sen. McConnell and GOP for not passing gun safety laws: 'It's pathetic!'