Pope Francis said Wednesday that he was “heartbroken by the massacre” at a Texas elementary school.
During his weekly general audience, the pontiff stated that he was praying for the murdered children and adults and for their families, referring to the massacre that occurred yesterday at a school in the town of Uvalde, when an 18-year-old attacker killed at least 19 children and two adults before being gunned down by police.
“It is time to say ‘enough’ to the indiscriminate arms trade,” said Francis, who called for a new commitment “so that tragedies like this cannot happen again.”
The pope has repeatedly spoken out against the arms industry, calling manufacturers “merchants of death.”
Nineteen children and two adults killed in shooting at Texas elementary school
Uvalde Memorial Hospital reported that 13 children were taken by ambulance or bus, and another reported caring for a 66-year-old woman in critical condition. It is not entirely clear how many people, other than those killed, were injured in the shooting.
The shooting came less than two weeks after a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 African Americans in what authorities described as a hate crime.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooter, identified as Salvador Ramos, a resident of Uvalde.
About 16,000 people live in Uvalde and it is the seat of government for Uvalde County. The town is located about 75 miles from the border with Mexico.
Robb Elementary School is located in a modest neighborhood.
