Members of law enforcement lay flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School.
Members of law enforcement lay flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School. Credit: Joseph Guillen

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Arizona, is weighing in on gun violence as part of the four-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

The shooting claimed 21 lives and led to the passing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first major gun safety legislation passed at the federal level in more than three decades.

A victim of an assassination attempt in Tucson in 2011, Giffords has committed her life to GIFFORDS, a national gun violence prevention organization she now leads. The congresswoman was shot in the head, which left her with permanent speech difficulties.

“My heart aches for the lives lost at Robb Elementary School for years ago. Those children should be alive today,” Giffords said in a statement. “Our schools should be safe havens of learning and community. Instead, they are far too often the target of terrible violence. We cannot accept this as normal. Texas’ leaders have an urgent duty to pass commonsense gun laws and defend our children’s safety through lifesaving legislation.”

Uvalde residents have plans for two vigils to commemorate the mass shooting, both taking place on Sunday, May 24. The first will be at Uvalde’s Main Plaza, and will start at 11:30 a.m. The second will take place at 7:15 p.m. at the Uvalde Rotary Club Amphitheater, Uvalde Leader-News reports.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...