NORFOLK, Va. — Social media lit up with calls for change after an elementary school shooting took 21 lives in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday.
Officials said 19 of the people killed were children in third and fourth grades, and two were adults. There are reports of other people being injured, but it's not clear how many were hurt, or how they were faring Wednesday.
Virginia's politicians weighed in on the tragedy, calling for change. Most of the Democratic representatives called for stricter gun control laws. Most of the Republicans offered their prayers.
Here's what they said:
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R)
Youngkin's spokesperson Macaulay Porter shared the following statement:
"This morning, Governor Youngkin received a briefing from Secretary Robert Mosier, Secretary Aimee Guidera, Secretary John Littel, and State Superintendent Jillian Balow about actions taken to protect children in schools and the resources available at the state level to provide mental health access as needed in response to yesterday's tragedy in Uvalde, TX. The Governor has asked his administration to evaluate steps already taken and future steps to help ensure our schools are safe. The Governor previously requested an additional $50 million in the budget for School Resource Officers and is hopeful the General Assembly will prioritize this important request."
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia)
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia)
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd District)
Elaine Luria (D-2nd District)
Rob Wittman (R-1st District)
The Republican represented shared his statement on Facebook Tuesday night.
"As a father and a grandfather, I am both horrified and heartbroken about the recent evil acts of violence in Texas," he said. "My prayers are with both the victims and their loved ones. The lives both taken and impacted by this attack will never be forgotten, and our nation mourns for the lives that were taken far too soon."