President of the United States of America Joe Biden was faced Sunday, May 29, 2022 with the grim and familiar task of comforting families after another mass shooting, this time at a Texas elementary school, as a shattered community – and a weary nation – grappled with an endless wave of gun violence, Zoom Haiti News learned from a CNN article authored by Kevin Liptak and Arlette Saenz.
According to the article, Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden witnessed outbursts of grief and anger while visiting Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers last week. It was the second time in a week that they wept alongside families whose loved ones died in a mass shooting.
The Biden’s visit comes as the Justice Department announces it is conducting a review of the law enforcement response to the Uvalde shooting, reporters note.
The presidential couple’s black armored limousine arrived at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School around 11:15 a.m. Central time, stopping next to the sea of flowers, stuffed animals and photos that has grown since the day of the massacre.
In another important detail, the first lady carried a large bouquet of white roses, which she placed in front of the brick sign at Robb Elementary School. The Bidens, both dressed in dark black, stood quietly for a moment in the midday sun. The president made a sign of the cross and wiped away a tear.
After speaking with the school principal and local officials, President Biden and the first lady walked to a row of memorial wreaths, each representing one of the children and teachers killed. They touched cardboard cutouts of each, their photos on the front surrounded by white flower garlands, in quiet observation.
Later, the Bidens attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller invited children from the devastated community to sit up front.
“Our response must be one of hope and healing,” he said, urging the community to “resolve to support each other with respect for our differences.” The choir sang “On Eagle’s Wings.”
As the U.S. leader exited the church doors, voices in the crowd shouted with anguish. “Do something!” the protesters chanted. “We will,” Biden responded.
Note that Biden and the first lady spent the afternoon meeting with victims’ families at Uvalde County Arena and first responders at Garner Field before returning to their home in Delaware. “He hopes to convey empathy and understand what an incredibly horrible time this is for them,” said an adviser traveling with the president. “He hopes to offer a small piece of comfort, if that’s possible.”
Still, according to the article, it’s a solemn task made more exhausting by the serious failings of law enforcement in responding to Tuesday’s shooting in Uvalde. And it comes with no promise of major legislative action to prevent further carnage, although a bipartisan group of lawmakers has begun talks to identify potential areas for action.
The frustrations of an angry public were evident at the memorial site. Some onlookers waiting for Biden began shouting when Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott arrived to accompany the president.
“Please, Governor Abbott, help Uvalde County,” one man shouted. “We need change. Our children don’t deserve this.”
As Biden drove away, similar cries for help could be heard before he got into his vehicle.
In Uvalde, a community shattered by last week’s shooting, many came to watch the president and first lady make their way through the memorial site.
“I think President Biden making an appearance here is a good thing. It’s in order. This is what we need. We need the leader of the free world to be here, and sympathize with us,” Ronald Garza, a Uvalde County commissioner, told CNN.
The Biden’s visit to Texas comes 12 days after the couple traveled to Buffalo, New York, to visit the site of a racist grocery store massacre. That shooting left 10 people dead. Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the city Saturday to attend the funeral of Ruth Whitfield, 86, the oldest victim of the attack.
“This is a moment that compels all good people who love people to simply say we will not tolerate this. Enough is enough,” Harris said before placing a bouquet on a memorial outside the Tops Friendly Markets store where the shooting took place May 14. As he left, Harris called for a ban on assault weapons like those used to kill in Uvalde and Buffalo.
The president’s and vice president’s dual visits to communities affected by the mass killings were a stark reminder of the scourge of gun violence that is ravaging the nation. Biden, who has spent much of his career enacting stricter gun laws, called for action again this week.
On Sunday, Sen. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he sensed a “different feeling” among his congressional colleagues about the possibility of passing gun control measures in the wake of the Uvalde shooting. But the Illinois Democrat suggested to CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” that if something did pass, its scope would be limited because of the need to compromise with Republicans.
In Texas, Biden will also face harrowing accounts of the shooting that state law enforcement officials said amounted to police misconduct. The decision by responding officers not to enter the classroom where the shooting occurred – despite 911 calls from students pleading for help – leaves open the question of whether lives could have been saved.
The White House has said it would not prejudge an investigation into police actions. But the revelations about the timeline, made Friday at a harrowing press conference in Uvalde, only add to the sense of anguish Biden will face during his visit.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
