SAN DIEGO — Board of Supervisors Chairman Nathan Fletcher Tuesday directed flags at the San Diego County Administration Center to fly at half- staff in honor of the victims of Tuesday's mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
"Gun violence has once again taken the lives of innocent schoolchildren," Fletcher said in response to the shooting, which left at least 19 students dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, a small city west of San Antonio. The death toll also included two adults, authorities said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said one of the two was a teacher.
"Our nation is traumatized, our families are hurting, and we grieve deeply with the children, parents and teachers in the state of Texas as they grapple with this unconscionable act of violence," Fletcher said. "We must resolve to never give up the fight for commonsense federal gun safety legislation."
The shooting was carried out by an 18-year-old man armed with a handgun and possibly a rifle, according to Abbott. The attacker was killed by law enforcement.
The Sacramento-based Gun Owners of California retweeted this statement from its partners at Gun Owners of America:
"We mourn the innocent Texans murdered Tuesday afternoon. Sadly, we have already seen significant politicization of this tragedy for political gain by those on the left, including most alarmingly, in fundraising emails -- but also in calls for gun control.
Additionally, politicians who support the Second Amendment across the state and country are being made the subjects of unacceptable, vitriolic, ad-hominem attacks, and we stand in their defense.
Instead of playing politics, we must discuss real solutions to preventing this type of evil from striking again, for example, by arming willing teachers which is a solution supported by 81% of police. If our elected officials are important enough to receive armed protection, so too should our children."
WATCH RELATED: Texas elementary school shooting update (May 2022)
