Scott Calls For Tougher Laws In Response To Texas School Shooting

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Calling it an "unspeakable tragedy," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan pledged the state's support to Texas in the wake of Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school outside of San Antonio.

Hogan, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen were among the chorus of leaders lamenting the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two adults—and the suspect, who was killed by police.

"Schools should never be a place of fear," Hogan said. "No mom or dad should ever have to worry when they send their kids off to school whether they'll come home safely."

Hogan said the Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of Emergency Management have offered their support and resources to their counterparts in Texas. He asked Marylanders to pray for the victims and their families.

Saying "prayers are not enough," Scott said stricter legislation was required to head off violence such as that seen in Uvalde, Buffalo and here in Baltimore City.

"We must take action," Scott said. "We can honor the victims of Uvalde, Buffalo, Baltimore, and every corner of the country touched by gun violence by passing tougher gun laws. We cannot afford to do anything else."

The mayor's remarks echoed those conveyed by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, who said he felt "sick," noting that the Uvalde shooting ame just days after a mass shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 people.

"My heart goes out to all of the parents who lost their child today,' the senator said. "How many children have to die before enough is enough?"

Van Hollen described the shooting as "horrific beyond words," calling it "every parent's worse nightmare."

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