‘Tired of the lack of action.’ County, state leaders speak out after Texas school shooting

An 18-year-old gunman killed at least 19 children and two adults in a Texas elementary school on Tuesday. Since then, the nation has come together to mourn the lives lost, many calling for stronger action to be taken against gun violence.

The shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas comes just weeks after a teenage gunman shot and killed 10 people and injured three more, almost all of them Black, in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.

The shooting in Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, the Associated Press reported.

Leaders and officials across the nation, including in Pennsylvania and Centre County, have shared their thoughts on the tragedy. Jeff Steiner, president of the Bellefonte school board, opened Tuesday’s board meeting with a moment of silence and said the board’s thoughts and prayers went out to the students, families and staff of Robb Elementary School.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf called on the General Assembly and the state’s Congressional delegation to pass legislation to prevent gun violence.

“How many more children must die before we actually take meaningful action? How many more mass shootings must we witness before we wake up to the reality that gun violence is a public health crisis that must be addressed? People should feel safe going to school, the supermarket, their place of worship, the mall, the movies, and even outside in their community. Yet, these tragedies keep happening,” he said in a release.

Wolf said he was “tired of the lack of action.”

“I have made addressing gun violence a priority throughout my administration. I wish I could say the same of our Republican-led legislature, which seems more focused on pushing dangerous bills that would loosen restrictions and put Pennsylvanians at risk. I urge Pennsylvanians to join me in calling for our lawmakers at the state and federal levels to take meaningful steps to end gun violence.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Bob Casey on Twitter echoed that sentiment, saying, “These victims need more than thoughts and prayers. They need action. We need common sense gun legislation. Now.”

“We cannot continue to stand by as more of our children are killed in mass shootings. The United States is the only country on the planet where this happens regularly,” Casey wrote.

On his campaign account, he tweeted, “Nothing will change if Republicans keep acting like they love their guns more than they love our children.”

Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey and U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, made no mention of gun legislation in their tweets about mourning those impacted by the tragedy.

“This tragedy is as horrifying as it is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the families & loved ones of those killed, with those who were injured, & with the entire state of Texas,” Toomey wrote.

“The news out of Texas is devastating. I am praying for the children and families affected by this act of pure evil,” Keller tweeted.

State Senator Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, on Twitter said he was “shocked and saddened” by the shooting.

“Shocked and saddened by the horrific shooting at a Texas elementary school yesterday. Please join me in praying for peace and comfort for all the families who have been impacted by this senseless crime,” Corman wrote.

State College Mayor Ezra Nanes tweeted he was “heartbroken” for the children and teacher who were killed in the shooting and called for change.

“Our hearts go out to their families and community shattered by gun-enabled violence. It’s only a week since members of a black community were murdered while grocery shopping in Buffalo,” he wrote.

The Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms, “threatens our democracy and our children,” he wrote. He said weapons of war, like assault rifles, should be banned from civilian ownership, and the manufacturing and licensing of handguns should be tightly regulated.

“Hunters can still hunt with rifles and bows designed for that purpose alone. That’s not the issue here. The issue is the fallacy that owning a weapon meant only to kill people is a defining feature of our or any democracy. It is not.”

The Centre County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook said they did not understand why “ these senseless acts” happen.

“We will never understand nor comprehend why these senseless acts happen. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, students, teachers, and community affected by the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas,” the post read.

Jason Moser, Centre County’s controller, tweeted Tuesday evening he was angry with those who prevent change.

“Today, we mourn the loss of 14 children and a teacher. We shouldn’t need to, but here we are. Again. I am saddened for their families. And I am angry at the people that stand in the way of preventing these tragedies time and again,” he wrote.

Justin Behrens, Republican candidate for the 82nd District, on Facebook said no family should have to face this type of tragedy.

“Our prayers and thoughts go out to the families of the victims in Uvalde, Texas this morning. A terrible traggedy (sic) that no family or loved one should have to face in a lifetime. May the Lord bring peace to the community and families,” he wrote.

Paul Takac, a College Township Council member and Democratic candidate for the 82nd District, tweeted he was “horrified and heartbroken,” and called for action.

“Calls for thoughts and prayers have clearly done nothing. It is far past time to pass common sense gun legislation that ensures the safety of our children and our communities. This senseless violence has torn holes in the souls of families for far too long,” he wrote.

“As legislators, our top priority should always be the safety and well-being of the people in our communities,” Takac wrote. “Instead, too many politicians are more invested in serving gun lobbyists and their supporters than in keeping the children in their schools or the folks in their grocery stores alive.”