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May 24, 2022 -- Deadly shooting at Texas elementary school

By Amir Vera, Mike Hayes, Aditi Sangal, Melissa Macaya and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 2:26 PM ET, Thu May 26, 2022

17 Posts

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6:21 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Sen. Chris Murphy delivers emotional plea for action on Senate floor

From CNN's Paul LeBlanc

Sen. Chris Murphy speaks on the Senate floor on May 24. (Senate TV)

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut delivered an emotional call to action on the Senate floor following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Murphy, who has repeatedly pushed for legislative action following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, said: "This only happens in this country, and nowhere else. Nowhere else do little kids go to school thinking they might be shot that day."

"Our kids are living in fear every single time they set foot in a classroom because they think they're going to be next. What are we doing? Why do you spend all this time running for the United States Senate? Why do you go through all the hassle of getting this job — of putting yourself in a position of authority — if your answer is that as the slaughter increases, as our kids run for their lives, we do nothing."

Watch moment:

5:56 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

President Biden will address nation from White House tonight on school shooting in Uvalde

From CNN's Matthew Hoye

President Joe Biden speaks during the Quad Leaders Summit at Kantei in Tokyo on May 24. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

President Biden will address the nation about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, this evening at 8:15 p.m. ET from the White House, following his return from Asia.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted earlier that Biden had been briefed on the school shooting.

6:07 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

LeBron James on Texas shooting: "There simply has to be change! HAS TO BE!!"

From CNN's Jillian Martin

NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted his thoughts following Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

6:06 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Ted Cruz calls school shooting "unspeakable crime"

From CNN's Jessica Dean and Ali Zaslav

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, an "unspeakable crime."

But Cruz said he still doesn’t see gun reform as a solution. Instead, he said the way to prevent this type of crime is “going after felons and fugitives and those with serious mental illness arresting them prosecuting them when they try to illegally buy firearms.”

“You know inevitably, when there's a murderer of this kind, you see politicians try to politicize it, you see Democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try to restrict the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens. That doesn't work. It's not effective. It doesn't prevent crime,” he said.

Instead, Cruz advocated for more armed law enforcement resources on school campuses.

“There's no doubt we need to do more to keep children in school safe. We know from past experience one of the most effective tool for keeping kids safe is armed law enforcement on the campus. We don't know the details of what happened at Robb Elementary School, but there will be a lot of time to examine what steps could have been taken proactively to enhance the safety and security of the school right now," he said.

5:53 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Uvalde school shooter is dead and acted alone, school police chief says

From CNN’s Andy Rose

Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, speaks during a press conference on May 24. (KSAT)

The shooter in Tuesday’s fatal elementary school shooting did not have any help, the school district’s top security officer said.

“At this point, the investigation is leading to tell us that the suspect did act alone during this heinous crime,” said Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.

Arredondo confirmed that the suspect is dead. He did not provide further details on casualties in the shooting.

5:39 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Sen. Cornyn says he will go to his home state of Texas as soon as tonight

From CNN's Lauren Fox

Sen. John Cornyn walks in the US Capitol on December 9, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images/File)

Sen. John Cornyn says he will go to Texas as soon as tonight after the devastating shooting in his home state.

The senator said he is getting briefings from local officials and trying to understand more about the motive and the ongoing situation. He added he has not been briefed by federal officials yet.

“It’s clearly horrible,” Cornyn said.

5:46 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

President Biden has been briefed on school shooting and will speak tonight, White House says

From CNN's Mary Kay Mallonee

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted that President Biden has been briefed on the school shooting in Texas.

“President Biden has been briefed on the horrific news of the elementary school shooting in Texas and will continue to be briefed regularly as information becomes available," she tweeted.

His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House," Jean-Pierre added.

6:46 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Governor: "Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime"

From CNN’s Joe Sutton

Emergency personnel gather near Robb Elementary School following a shooting on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released the following statement on the fatal school shooting in Uvalde this afternoon:

“Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde. Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering. We thank the courageous first responders who worked to finally secure Robb Elementary School. I have instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to work with local law enforcement to fully investigate this crime. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is charged with providing local officials all resources necessary to respond to this tragedy as the State of Texas works to ensure the community has what it needs to heal.”

5:24 p.m. ET, May 24, 2022

Homeland Security secretary briefed on Uvalde shooting

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been briefed on the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the department said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.

US Customs and Border Protection “immediately responded to the scene to provide support, including medical aid,” the tweet continued, adding: “DHS is actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners, and will continue to provide the department’s full support.”

Uvalde, Texas, is just over 60 miles from the Texas-Mexico border.