UVALDE, Texas -- WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden struck a somber and serious tone, calling for new gun restrictions, in an address to the nation after 18 children were killed in a shooting at a Texas elementary school.
“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name do we do what we all know needs to be done?” Biden asked.
Biden, whose lost both a son and a daughter, was joined by first lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House on Tuesday night.
“Why are are willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God’s name is our backbone?” Biden said, adding later, “It’s time to act.”
At least 18 children and three adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday morning. Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San Antonio. The 18-year-old gunman is dead. It's unclear if that number includes the shooter.
Biden called on the nation to pray for the parents and siblings of those dead. “To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away,” he said.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TEXAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING:
— Gunman kills at least 18 children at Texas elementary school
— Biden says ‘we have to act’ after Texas school shooting
— Sen. Murphy begs for gun compromise after Texas shooting
— A look at some of the deadliest US school shootings
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
LOS ANGELES — CBS has pulled the season finale of “FBI” after the deadly elementary school shooting in Texas.
The network said Tuesday that it will not air the show’s season four finale titled “Prodigal Son.” The decision was made after a gunman killed at least 18 students Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Three adults were also killed in the shooting. It's unclear if the gunman was one of the three.
The finale’s storyline involved a suspected student’s participation in a deadly robbery. The synopsis includes a mention that the episode involved a cache of automatic weapons.
It’s unclear whether the episode will air in the future.
The network will re-air the show’s 12th episode “Under Pressure” in place of the season finale.
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UVALDE — The superintendent of a Texas elementary school where an 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 18 children said his heart is broken today.
Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, said Tuesday that Robb Elementary School will be closed and all school activities will be cancelled until further notice. Harrell also said grief counselors would be available starting Wednesday morning.
“My heart is broken today,” Harrell said. “We’re a small community and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this.”
Three adults were also killed in the Tuesday morning shooting. The gunman is dead, likely killed by police, officials said. It’s unclear if the number of adults dead includes the shooter.
The death toll increased Tuesday evening. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez said he’d been briefed by state police on the latest fatalities from the school in Uvalde, a heavily Latino community about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
In addition to 21 dead, three people injured in the shooting remain in serious condition, Gutierrez told The Associated Press. The gunman is dead, likely killed by police.
