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Biden visits Texas after school shooting, DOJ says it will review police response


Mourning mourners visit a memorial to the victims of Tuesday’s mass shooting at an elementary school, in Uvalde City Town Square on May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.

Yasin Ozturk | Anadolu Agency | beautiful pictures

President Joe Biden tried to comfort families in the southern Texas town of Uvalde on Sunday after the deadliest school shooting in a decade as a federal official. announced they will consider the slow response of local law enforcement to the attack.

Anger has grown over the decision by law enforcement in Uvalde to allow the shooter to stay in the classroom for nearly an hour while officers waited in the hallways and children in the panic room. call 911 for help.

President and first lady Jill Biden wiped away tears while visiting memorials at Robb Elementary School where the gunman killed 19 students and two teachers, laid white roses and paid their respects before temporary temples for the victims.

“Do something,” a crowd chanted outside Sacred Heart Catholic Church as Biden left after attending mass.

“We will,” he replied.

The Bidens will also visit victims’ families and survivors for several hours before meeting with first responders afterward.

Police said the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, entered the school Tuesday with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle after fatally shooting his grandmother earlier.

Official accounts of how police responded to the shooting have been violently debunked. The US Justice Department on Sunday said it would review the response of local law enforcement to the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.

Julian Moreno, a former pastor at Primera Iglesia Bautista and great-grandfather of one of the girls who died, said of Uvalde’s police, “I feel sorry for them because they have to live with the mistake of just standing look.

The Uvalde shooting has once again put gun control at the top of the nation’s agenda, months before the midterm elections in November, with advocates of stronger gun laws arguing that it The latest bloodshed represents an upcoming moment.

Biden, a Democrat, has repeatedly called for major reform of America’s gun laws but has been powerless to prevent mass shootings or convince Republicans that tight controls than could have prevented the carnage.

‘We need help’

The Texas visit is President Biden’s third visit to a mass shooting site, including earlier this month when he visited Buffalo, New York, after a gunman killed 10 Blacks in an attack Saturday afternoon at a grocery store.

On Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican opposing the new gun restrictions, and other local officials accompanied Biden on Sunday.

“We need help, Governor Abbott,” some in the crowd shouted as Biden arrived at the school. “Shame on you, Abbott.”

Others shouted thanks to Biden as he arrived at the school.

When asked if she had texted Biden, 11-year-old Bella Barboza, a friend of one of the victims, said she is now scared to go to school and calls for change.

“This world is not a good place for children to grow up,” she said.

Ben Gonzalez, a lifelong Uvalde resident and father of four, was among those present at the school’s memorial on Sunday, calling on leaders to help and saying Democrats and Republicans need to work together.

“Yes, we need new gun legislation. But we also need to focus on mental health. There’s not just one answer to this,” he told Reuters.

White House aides and close allies say Biden is unlikely to delve into specific policy proposals or take executive action on weapons to avoid disrupting delicate negotiations. The Senate is divided.

Senate Democrats also dismissed the rhetoric as talks resume during a Memorial Day recess in the boardroom this week.

“We have to be realistic about what we can achieve,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin told CNN’s “State of the Union” program Sunday. Durbin’s fellow Democrats tightly control the 50-50 split Senate but need 60 votes to pass most legislation.

Leading Republicans such as US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, former President Donald Trump and Abbott have rejected calls for new gun control measures and instead suggested investing in care mental health or tighten school security.

Ramos, a high school dropout, has no criminal record and no history of mental illness but has posted threatening messages on social media.



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