United States President Joe Biden during his speech a year after the massacre. Andrew Harnik (AP)
A year after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the President of the United States has asked Congress to make a change that can prevent new school tragedies. “It’s time to act,” said the Democratic president, who proposed a ban on assault rifles in the face of Republican opposition. Armed violence is the leading cause of death among minors in the United States, one of the most advanced countries in the world. “We cannot end this epidemic until lawmakers pass common sense reforms and weapons of war are removed from our streets and dangerous people,” the president said in a message commemorating the penultimate classroom tragedy.
Biden visited Uvalde, a Hispanic-majority town, days after a young man who had just reached majority age entered a public school to shoot nine- and 10-year-olds at point blank range. The tragedy was followed by another racist motive at a convenience store frequented by African Americans in Buffalo, New York. The Uvalde incident was followed by debate in Texas, one of the most lax gun control areas, about school infrastructure, mental health care, and particularly the futile response of police and law enforcement agencies. The President of the United States believes that the discussion should focus on the guns of the killers.
Cynthia Flores, mother of José Flores, cleans the crosses of her son’s monument in the center of Uvalde.ADAM DAVIS (EFE)
The Texas and Buffalo shootings prompted congressional action. Both parties passed the most important regulatory reforms in decades. The laws strengthened vetting of young buyers and made it easier for states to enact regulations allowing judges and authorities to confiscate guns from those they deem to pose a danger to the community. But this new legal framework has done little to remedy incidents of this kind. The country has registered more than 1,000 schools since 2018. In 2022, there were 650 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths from gunfire (most of them suicides).
“In my opinion, we need to ban AR-15 assault rifles again,” Biden said this afternoon. “We know they have been used time and time again to kill innocent children and people,” he added. It also proposes a ban on high-capacity magazines, capable of firing 60 rounds without the need for reloading. The executive wants the country to resume the 1994-2004 ban that led to a reduction in mortality.
This has been one of the toughest battles waged by the families of the Uvalde victims, who amid their grief have become activists calling for stronger controls. This year, they have recognized the complexities of achieving change in a state that allows guns to be carried in public and without a permit. Compared to the president’s goal, parents want a more plausible change, which is changing the minimum gun age. From 18 to 21 years. Republicans disputed that possibility, arguing that the amendment would be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court because the Constitution protects the right to bear arms.
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We found some American papers. She described herself as bold, artistic, fun and kind. One thing about my girl: she was confident and knew exactly who she was. My sweet girl I love you so much.
—Kimberly Garcia (@kim_amerie) May 22, 2023
“How many fathers and mothers will have to relive their worst nightmare before we speak out against the gun lobby and impose universal controls on buyers?” asked the President. These measures, Biden claims, are backed by a majority of Americans in recent polls.
Kimberly García, mother of Ameri Jo Garza, one of the girls murdered on the last day of school, opened up this week about how difficult it was going to elementary school a year after the events. “Bullets covered the walls and floor. All doors except rooms 111 and 112 had the word clear written on them. But there was nothing worse than finding a sign congratulating students on completing fourth grade,” Garcia wrote.
Brett Cross, the father of Uziyah Garcia, who passed away aged 10, also took to social media to reminisce about the last time he saw his son. “Around ten o’clock at night I told her to go to sleep and ruffled her hair. I told him I loved him. I didn’t see him on the 24th because I went to work early before the kids woke up (…) That’s been haunting me for the last year. The police asked me how I was dressed and I didn’t know what to tell them. I had to ask my wife. wrote on Twitter. In Uvalde, some residents paid tribute to the minors by visiting the colorful murals that decorate the center. A mass was held at the local church, where several butterflies were released in memory of the children.
In Austin, the Texas capital, Governor Greg Abbott ordered flags to be flown at half-mast in memory of those who died. Local senators and congressmen observed a minute’s silence. Tracy King, the MP representing Uvalde in the local House of Commons, summed up in a few words the horror she experienced a year ago. “Eight days after his 18th birthday, the killer entered Robb Elementary School and fired 150 shots at 38 people, killing 19 fourth graders and two teachers. It took him three minutes,” the lawmaker said before the hall went silent.
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