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Biden says Texas elementary school shooting "another massacre"

WASHINGTON, May 25 (KUNA) -- US President Joe Biden said Tuesday evening that the elementary school shooting in Texas is "another massacre." Addressing the nation from the White House upon his return from Asia, Biden said, "I had hoped when I became President, I would not have to do this again. Another massacre, Uvalde, Texas, an Elementary school." "As a nation, we have to ask when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God's name will we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done?" he remarked.
"We have to act. And don't tell me we can't have an impact on this carnage," he added.
"The idea that an 18-year-old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong." He continued, "These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world." "These kinds of mass shootings don't happen with the frequency they happen in America," he noted.
For her part, Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier "enough is enough. As a nation we have to have the courage to take action and understand the nexus between what makes reasonable and sensible public policy to ensure something like this never happens again." Furthermore, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield tweeted that Biden spoke with Texas Governor Greg Abbott "to offer any and all assistance he needs in the wake of the horrific shooting." In a statement, US Attorney General Merrick Garland stressed, "this act of unspeakable violence has devastated an entire community and shaken our country." He affirmed that the Justice Department "is committed to providing our full support to our law enforcement partners on the ground in Texas and to the Uvalde community." "We join our fellow Americans in mourning this terrible loss and in their resolve to end this senseless violence," he said.
In a Proclamation, Biden ordered the US flags to be flown at half-staff at "the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, May 28." Biden also directed that the flag shall be flown at half-staff "for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations." At least 19 children and two adults were killed in Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Police Chief Pete Arredondo of Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District confirmed to reporters, "The intruder is deceased, and we are not actively looking for another individual or any other suspects in this case." (end) si.gta