Nineteen children and two adults killed in Texas shooting | First Thing
Lawmakers and gun control groups lead calls to stop carnage, saying it is our choice to let it continue'. Plus, Walmart begins drone delivery service
Good morning.
A teenage gunman has killed at least 19 children and two adults after storming into an elementary school in Texas, officials said, the latest bout of gun-fueled mass killings in the United States and the nation's worst school shooting since Sandy Hook a decade ago.
What did Biden say? As a nation, we have to ask, When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?'" Biden said on national television, calling for common sense gun laws".
Who are the victims? Fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles has been confirmed as one of the adults killed. Irma Garcia has been named as the second adult victim by several media outlets. Uziyah Garcia, eight, and Xavier Javier Lopez, 10, were confirmed by the Associated Press. Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was identified by family and Jose Flores, 10, has also been named as a victim by his uncle.
What else do we know? Here's what we know so far.
Why has a speech made by Chris Murphy gone viral? The congressman who formerly represented the town of Sandy Hook made an impassioned speech begging for action on gun control. He said: I am here on this floor to beg, to literally get down on my hands and knees to beg my colleagues: find a path forward here."
What has poet Amanda Gordon said? It takes a monster to kill children. But to watch monsters kill children again and again and do nothing isn't just insanity - it's inhumanity," she wrote.
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