Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey releases statement after 18 children killed in Texas school shooting
(AP/KDKA) — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 18 children, officials said, and the gunman was dead.
The death toll also included three adults, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he was briefed by state police on the fatalities. But it was not immediately clear whether that number included the assailant.
It was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunmen killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey released a statement on Tuesday, saying:
"Our hearts grieve for the families, friends, and classmates affected by today's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Our centers of learning should be safe places for all, yet the sanctity of our schools continue to be violated. All across our country, too many families are suffering from unimaginable and unnecessary grief. These victims - innocent children - deserved a full rich life, and they deserve more than our thoughts and our prayers. If we are ever going to heal from the trauma of gun violence in our country then we must take immediate action now to pass real commonsense gun legislation."
The gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and possibly a rifle, Abbott said. Officials have not revealed a motive for the shooting, but said the shooter was a resident of the community that's about 85 miles (135 kilometers) west of San Antonio.
A Border Patrol agent who was nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.
The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school, the law enforcement source said.
Abbott said the shooter was likely killed by police officers but that the events were still being investigated. The school district's police chief, Pete Arredondo, said that the attacker acted alone.
On Twitter, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said, "My heart breaks for the parents, family, and community facing this unimaginable tragedy. I'm horrified. I'm devastated. And I'm angry. We can and must do more to end gun violence."
