WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has joined a global chorus of grief following the shooting deaths of 19 children at a small-town elementary school in Texas.
Trudeau says all of Canada is grieving the tragedy, which unfolded Tuesday afternoon in Uvalde, Tex., a community of 16,000 just west of San Antonio.
My heart breaks for everyone affected by the horrific shooting in Texas today. I’m thinking of the parents, the families, the friends, the classmates, and the coworkers whose lives have been forever changed – Canadians are mourning with you, and are here for you.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 24, 2022
In the U.S., however, which is reeling from a recent string of mass shootings, grief has already given way to unbridled rage.
Tuesday's shooting, which also claimed the lives of two adults, comes less than two weeks after a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y.
And it echoes the 10-year-old Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Newtown, Penn., which killed 20 children and six adults — a tragedy that failed to spur meaningful gun control efforts in the U.S.
The Texas horror is sure to dominate Senate proceedings, where President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is set to testify at committee.
"The students, the parents, the teachers, the entire community — they've had their lives changed forever by this unimaginable event," a sombre Trudeau said Tuesday in Vancouver.
"All of Canada grieves with our American friends on this terrible, terrible day."
Biden himself addressed the nation from the White House just hours after the shooting in an emotional and anger-tinged speech he said he'd hoped to never have to give.
We know common sense gun laws can’t and won’t prevent every tragedy. But we know they work and have a positive impact.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
When we passed the assault weapons ban — mass shootings went down.
When the law expired — mass shootings tripled.
The idea that an 18-year-old can walk into a store and buy assault weapons is just wrong.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
What in God’s name do you need an assault weapon for except to kill someone?
It’s just sick that gun manufacturers have spent two decades aggressively marketing assault weapons which make them some of the biggest profits.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
For God’s sake, let’s have the courage to stand up to the industry.
"I am sick and tired of it," the president said. "We have to act. And don't tell me we can't have an impact on this carnage."
