Despairing, fearful and angry Americans flooded social media with their reactions Saturday to the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart that killed at least 22 people and injured more than two dozen.
The attack is just the latest in a week of multiple shootings in the U.S. Two children and an adult were killed last Sunday at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California by a 19-year-old gunman in camouflage armed with an assault rifle. On Tuesday, two workers at a Mississippi Walmart were shot dead by a gunman that authorities identified as a disgruntled employee.
“Enough. We need to end this national nightmare,” Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) tweeted.
“We have a gun problem,” wrote Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter Jaime last year in the mass shooting at Parkland High School in Florida. He told families suffering after the El Paso attack: “I am here for you.”
Enough. We need to end this national nightmare. Praying for everyone affected by this unspeakable tragedy, and for our country to find the moral courage to take action to end this carnage. https://t.co/vqTMSlbR8j
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 3, 2019
This is not normal.
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) August 3, 2019
This is madness.
Our hearts are breaking again.
We know how to fix this.
We HAVE to fix this.https://t.co/2OOdS4Zy1T
If you’re so “horrified”... do something about it. https://t.co/jl4GxfvPWJ
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 4, 2019
THIRD MASS SHOOTING THIS WEEK. BETWEEN 15-20 SHOT IN TODAY’S SHOOTING AND MCCONNELL WON’T BRING #HR8 UP FOR A VOTE.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 3, 2019
Tell me again how the @GOP is “pro-life” when they won’t vote for a bill-that already passed the house-which would make the country safer from gun violence. #NoRA
August 3, 2019: Time to reset this thing #walmartshooting pic.twitter.com/Q67SXUsVNB
— Laura Martínez (@miblogestublog) August 3, 2019
Heartbroken to hear the news from El Paso. Our thoughts are with those impacted by yet another senseless act of gun violence in America.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 3, 2019
How many lives must be cut short? How many communities must be torn apart? It’s past time we take action and end our gun violence epidemic.
19 people killed. More families planning funerals or praying their lives ones survive. This country must face facts. WE HAVE A GUN PROBLEM. WE NEED ELECTED LEADERS WHO WILL DEAL WITH IT. To the families suffering today, I am here for you.https://t.co/yrDz2fRav9
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 3, 2019
Oh no. My heart goes out to the families and individuals impacted by the El Paso shooting. We owe them and all Americans common sense gun safety laws. Other societies respond to senseless tragedies - we must do the same. We are better than this.
— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) August 3, 2019
As a trauma surgeon, as a survivor, as an American. I am sick to my stomach.
— Joseph Sakran (@JosephSakran) August 3, 2019
All of our Presidential Candidates had better commit to the Gun Violence Prevention Town Hall In October.#GunViolence is the National Emergency we are facing! Wake up America. #elpasotexas pic.twitter.com/Jq258N0wKH
In El Paso or anywhere else, our families should not be afraid to run errands. We should not be afraid to attend festivals or concerts. We should not be afraid to worship or to go to school. But that’s not the America we’re living in today.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) August 3, 2019
The reality that it keeps happening is horrifying. It’s heartbreaking, but we must remember it’s not inevitable. The fact that our nation’s leaders continue to fail to protect us should outrage us all. It’s time to bring this crisis to an end. #elpaso
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) August 3, 2019
The news out of El Paso is devastating. I'm heartbroken for the victims and their families. Far too many communities have suffered through tragedies like this already. We must act now to end our country's gun violence epidemic.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 3, 2019
Reports of 19 ppl dead & 40 wounded. This happened on American soil with kids playing & people shopping. Young white male shooter... again. This is absolutely domestic terrorism, & every single representative refusing to act is complicit.https://t.co/l1C5jFG8l3
— Trish Zornio (@trish_zornio) August 3, 2019
The NRA wants us to believe gun deaths are the price of freedom, but they’re actually the cost of letting gun lobbyists write our gun laws
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 4, 2019
The 2nd Amendment is a framework for lawmaking, not a suicide pact. In honor of El Paso and all gun violence victims, text CHECKS to 644-33 https://t.co/cpXNXa086f
I am devastated by what has happened in El Paso today. Our strength is with the families who are grieving. Our thanks to EPPD. Our commitment is with those who will change this country so that this doesn’t happen again. This beautiful amazing courageous community will overcome.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 3, 2019
Hi!
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) August 3, 2019
The El Paso Walmart is an open-carry store.
Texas is an open-carry state.
No "good guy" with a gun stopped the "bad guy" with a gun.#GunControlNow
2019 mass shootings:
— #TheResistance (@BoneKnightmare) August 3, 2019
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🇺🇸 249 The only question is how soon before the next one?????#ThisIsAmerica #ThoughtsAndPrayers #walmartshooting
Last week it was Gilroy. Today it’s El Paso. How can our country tolerate this? My prayers are yet again with families who are grieving and my thanks are with the first responders, but that is not enough. We must act.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 3, 2019
SO....DAMN...SICK of these cowardly mass shootings. Thinking of all the victims, their families and the first responders in El Paso as they deal with what happened today. #elpaso
— Sean Larkin (@Sean_C_Larkin) August 3, 2019
Every time there’s a mass shooting in America I’m reminded that these precious children weren’t enough for people to vote for gun control. The El Paso shooting shouldn’t have happened. Sandy Hook should’ve been the last straw. pic.twitter.com/6R3s0Egb1t
— tony janeā stark⎊ (@heyyitsjanea) August 3, 2019
If you're a politician with an A+ rating from the NRA, like @JohnCornyn, you might want to keep your thoughts and prayers for El Paso to yourself. pic.twitter.com/V671GJwQe5
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) August 3, 2019
#ElPasoShooting #walmartshooting #EnoughIsEnough @SenTomCotton 🐢#MoscowMich godson 🔫💸🐷 your hands are bloody, Koch⛽️boy 🥀 pic.twitter.com/EOj0ZcCOzv
— Kathy Sidney 🌹 (@grannysidney) August 3, 2019
This story has been updated after the death toll increased Monday morning.
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