Gov. Greg Abbott greeted with boos as he visits Uvalde school memorial on Sunday

Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke and State Sen. Roland Gutierrez aren’t the only ones giving Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a piece of their minds in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.

A crowd of onlookers booed the Republican governor Sunday as he arrived at Robb Elementary School to pay respects at a memorial for the victims, online video clips show. The incident took place less than a week after the worst school shooting in Texas history claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers.

“Please, Gov. Abbott, help Uvalde county,” one person is heard shouting. “We need change! We need change, governor!”

“Our children can’t go to school in peace,” a man yells in another video. “We need help.”

After the massacre, Abbott said he wants to change laws to prevent another such tragedy, but he’s only discussed mental health care, not gun reform.

The governor signed seven pieces of legislation last year easing firearms restrictions. The most controversial, signed last summer during a ceremony at the Alamo, allowed Texans to carry handguns without a license or training.

On Sunday, the same day Abbott was booed by the crowd, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the Robb Elementary memorial. The Bidens were greeted with cheers but also shouts to do something.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.

Related Stories

After Uvalde massacre, Gov. Greg Abbott cancels NRA appearance but still provides recorded message

Despite a steep rise in mass shootings in 2021, the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature passed seven pieces of legislation last year easing firearms restrictions.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s Uvalde press conference slips into chaos after rival Beto O’Rourke confronts him

Uvalde’s Mayor called O’Rourke a “sick son of a bitch.”

Hours after Uvalde school shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott attended a fundraiser 300 miles away

A spokesperson for Abbott said he had previously committed to the event but all campaign-related activities are postponed until further notice.

If lawmakers won’t limit guns after Uvalde shooting, they should at least fund gun violence research

Federal funding for gun violence research was frozen in 1996 by the Dickey Amendment, a Republican-backed measure that banned the government from “advocating” for gun control.

Abbott blames ‘mental health’ for Uvalde shooting after cutting $211 million from mental health agency

Abbott announced the budget cuts in late April to continue funding his immigration crackdown, Operation Lone Star.

After another mass shooting, Texas Democrats again push for gun control measures

The question moving forward is whether Democrats, outnumbered in the Texas Legislature, will be able to put enough pressure on lawmakers to move on a previously intractable issue in gun-friendly Texas.

San Antonio’s latest all-you-can-eat sushi spot, Umiya, is now open

The new eatery, which also includes a full bar, has taken over the far Northwest San Antonio space that formerly housed Drew Brees’ Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

Texas ranks 34th among states in gun-safety laws, lacks ‘foundational’ rules, study finds

Despite Texas’ spate of recent mass shootings, lawmakers ‘continue to sit on their hands and refuse to enact foundational gun safety laws,’ according to the report.

Abbott draws swift rebuke after calling for ‘legislative committees’ to study Uvalde school shooting

Democrat Mike Collier blasted the governor for refusing to call a special session, something he did three times last year to push GOP-backed culture war legislation.

Greg Abbott’s handwritten notes raise fresh questions over who ‘misled’ him about Uvalde shooting response

The nine pages of blue ink on white lined paper show how the governor prepared his remarks for a news conference May 25, the day after the shooting — presumably based on information being given to him.

Gov. Greg Abbott waited hours to call Texas’ top cop the day of Uvalde shooting, lawmaker says

Abbott ‘has done absolutely nothing, which is why we’re sharing this today,’ State Sen. Roland Gutierrez said.

This article appears in May 18-31, 2022.