Robb Elementary School Shooting

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, our country is sickened and outraged by the senseless evil that struck Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, only yesterday. According to early reports from authorities, it appears that a deranged young man tried to murder his own grandmother, then crashed his car, and then ran into an elementary school and began killing.

At least 19 young children and 2 teachers were murdered--murdered-- for no apparent reason at all. These innocent kids were simply going to school. They put on their backpacks, said goodbye to their parents, and headed off for another day of learning and friendship. There were only 2 days left before summer break. And because of this maniac, at least 19 of these kids never made it home.

One of the victims was a 10-year-old girl whose father described her as ``full of life, a jokester, always smiling.'' A 10-year-old boy who loved sports and art had just received his honor roll certificate a few hours earlier. His mother says he was thrilled--thrilled--about moving up into middle school next year.

It is literally sickening--sickening--to consider the innocent young lives that were stolen by this pointless, senseless brutality; to consider the parents and families who sat waiting at the civic center, waiting to either be reunited with their son or their daughter or to learn they never would be.

The investigation is still underway. The authorities will continue to learn exactly what happened and how. In the meantime, we are also praying for the Border Patrol officer who, according to reports, was wounded after he responded to the scene, and for all the law enforcement, paramedics, and first responders whose dedication yesterday saved lives.

Most of all, the entire Nation's hearts are broken for the victims and for their families. Words simply fail.

Yesterday, the Uvalde school superintendent said:

We're a small community [and] we're going to need your prayers to get us through this.

We pray fervently that in the midst of this nightmare of grief, our Heavenly Father will make manifest to those families his promise in Psalm 34 that ``the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source