President Biden is addressing the nation from the White House Tuesday night after a shooter killed at least 14 children and one teacher at an elementary school in Texas.
The president was briefed on the shooting on his return from a trip to Asia, and ordered flags at the White House and all other federal buildings to be flown at half-staff. Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed the mass shooting at the beginning of a speech.
“Our hearts keep getting broken,” Harris said, adding that, “enough is enough.”
The president spoke with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to offer any assistance he needs, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield tweeted.
Abbott said the shooter is also dead, believed to have been killed by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene. The mass shooting took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on the students’ last week of school before summer break. The school teaches 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president’s “prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event,” and he will continue to receive updates on the situation.
Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pedro Arredondo said the shooting took place at about 11:32 a.m.
Two law enforcement sources confirm to CBS News that the shooter had a handgun, AR-15 weapon, and high-capacity magazines. Two law enforcement sources also said the suspect is suspected of killing his grandmother before going on the school shooting rampage. The gunman’s motivation is unclear at this time.
Arredondo said that the initial investigation has led authorities to believe that the suspect acted alone.
Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Texas’ GOP Senator Ted Cruz called Tuesday a “dark day.”
“We’ve seen too many of these shootings,” Cruz said in a statement. “No parent should have to bear the pain of burying their child. We need to come together, as one nation, and support Uvalde as they try to heal from this devastating loss.”
