US President Joe Biden arrived on Sunday in Uvalde, Texas, to comfort families devastated by the worst US school shooting in a decade.
It is Biden’s third presidential trip to a mass shooting site. Earlier this month, he was in Buffalo, New York, where a gunman killed 10 black people in a racially motivated attack on a supermarket.
In Uvalde, Biden and First Lady Jill placed white roses on the plaque at Robb Elementary School, where an 18-year-old killed 19 students and two teachers on the 24th, and wiped tears as they visited a memorial in honor of the victims. The gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle after killing his grandmother.
The Bidens also attended a Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and would meet with the families of the dead, survivors and first responders.
Shortly after the president’s arrival in Uvalde, the US Department of Justice announced that it would review police procedures in the attack, which has been questioned for having been slow to act against the shooter.
According to witnesses, police allowed the gunman to remain at the school for nearly 40 minutes while officers waited in the hallway and children panicked 911 from inside the room, asking for help.
Officials in Texas and the county where the city is located say they are conducting their own investigation, but Anthony Coley, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, said he would conduct a “Critical Incident Review” of police action at the mayor’s request. from Uvalde.
“The purpose of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” Coley said.
“The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings,” Coley added.
gun control
The massacre has once again put gun control at the top of the country’s agenda just months before the November elections, with advocates of tighter control legislation arguing that the latest bloodshed represents a tipping point.
“The president has a real opportunity. The country is desperately asking a leader to stop the onslaught of gun violence,” said Igor Volsky, executive director of Guns Down America.
Republican leaders such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump have rejected calls for new gun control measures and instead have suggested investing in mental health care or beefing up school safety.​
A Democrat, Biden has repeatedly called for changes to US gun laws, but has failed to stop the mass shootings or convince Republicans that tighter controls could stem the carnage.
During Sunday’s visit, he was accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican who opposes new restrictions on gun purchases.
“We need help, Governor Abbott,” shouted some in the crowd as Biden arrived at the school. Others shouted, “Shame on you, Abbott.”
Abbott has denied that the state’s newly enacted gun laws, including a measure removing licensing requirements for carrying a concealed weapon, were relevant to Tuesday’s massacre. Instead, he also points to the blame for mental illness.
Salvador Ramos had no criminal record or history of mental illness, but he posted threatening messages on social media prior to the shooting.
Vice President Kamala Harris called for a ban on assault weapons during a trip to Buffalo on Saturday, saying that after two consecutive mass shootings, such “weapons of war” should have “no place in civil society”.
White House aides and close allies say Biden is unlikely to move forward on specific policy proposals or take executive action to crack down on firearms because it could disrupt delicate negotiations in the divided Senate.
Senate Democrats also toned down the rhetoric as negotiations continued during the Memorial Day holiday break this week.
“We have to be realistic about what we can achieve,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin told CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday. Durbin’s party colleagues narrowly control the 50-50 Senate but need 60 votes to pass most legislation.
terrifying testimonials
Survivors of the attack said they whispered, pleading for help, on 911 calls. Some played dead to avoid drawing the gunman’s attention.
Miah Cerrillo, 11, threw herself to the ground to escape Salvador Ramos’ attention. The girl covered herself in the blood of a colleague, whose body lay beside her, she told CNN off-camera. She had just seen how Ramos killed her teacher after saying “good night” to her.
Another student, Daniel, told The Washington Post that while the victims waited for the police to come to their rescue, no one screamed. “I was scared and stressed because the bullets almost hit me,” he said.
Their teacher, who was injured, whispered to them to “stay calm” and “keep quiet”. He was eventually rescued by the police, who smashed the windows of his classroom. Since then, he has had recurring nightmares.
