DENVER — Colorado leaders are reacting after 19 children and two adults were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday.
Gov. Jared Polis (D)
"This morning I visited Mancos Elementary School and saw the joy on the faces of students and teachers in their last week of school as they looked forward to new adventures this summer and next school year. Now fourteen students and a teacher at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas had their joy ended forever from a cold blooded attack and their parents, friends and families won’t ever hold them in their arms again or be able to watch them grow. Colorado’s hearts are heavy for our friends in Texas and join in showing love for the families and community affected.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D)
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D)
“We’re approaching the 10th anniversary of the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting where 70 people were injured and 12 murdered on an ordinary night at the movies. One year ago, 10 more Coloradans were killed while shopping for groceries. A white supremacist targeted another supermarket just days ago in Buffalo, New York. And today, children slaughtered in Texas.
“How many shootings are enough before we stop terrorizing our children and our families?”
Attorney General Phil Weiser (D)
“Once again, we are in shock and disbelief with the news of another mass shooting, this time at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. My heart goes out to the families grieving the unimaginable loss of a young child.
"We must find a path forward to curtail the scourge of gun violence, identify threats, and put protections in place to save lives. Just today, I was speaking with students and faculty at Golden High School who are promoting connections between peers and caring adults and building a safer community because they care for each other. We all can learn something from these kids. Schools should be a place of learning, growth, and support, not horrific gun violence. Enough is enough.”
Rep. Jason Crow (D)
Rep. Joe Neguse (D)
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D)
Rep. Diana DeGette (D)
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R)
Authorities say the victim death toll from the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, a heavily Latino community about 85 miles west of San Antonio, now stands at 19 children and two adults. The gunman also died.
Officials say the gunman was working alone. In an earlier press conference, Texas Governor Greg Abbott identified the alleged shooter as an 18-year-old man from Uvalde.
Abbott said the man walked into Robb Elementary School and opened fire. It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and occurred four years after a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area.
President Joe Biden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at all public buildings until sunset Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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