Politicians respond to mass shooting at Texas elementary school: 'When in god's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?'

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• President Joe Biden addressed the nation Tuesday night following a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
• Several Texas politicians have already responded to the tragedy in social media statements.

A gunman killed at least 19 people, including 18 children, in a Tuesday mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, before he was killed by responding officers.

The tragedy is the deadliest elementary school shooting since the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting that left 26 people dead.

In the hours since gunfire erupted in the small community of Uvalde, several politicians have addressed the incident, offering a mixture of thoughts, prayers, and fierce calls for gun control.

President Joe Biden

The President addressed the nation on Tuesday evening, calling for action and reflecting on his own first-hand knowledge of losing a child.

"To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away. There's a hollowness in your chest, you feel like you're being sucked into it," Biden said. "And it's never quite the same."

Biden has lost two children. His baby daughter Naomi and first wife died in a car crash in 1972, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.

"When in god's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?" Biden asked viewers, recalling that ten years ago as Vice President, he lamented the loss of young life after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

The Republican governor was the first official to confirm the stark death toll and provide details about the suspected gunman in a Tuesday press conference.

"He shot and killed — horrifically, incomprehensibly — 14 students and killed a teacher," Abbott said.

In a separate Twitter statement, Abbott said he and his wife are grieving for the victims and the community of Uvalde and urged all Texans to "come together."

Vice President Kamala Harris

The Vice President addressed the shooting while speaking at an event in DC on Tuesday, saying "our hearts keep getting broken."

Former President Barack Obama

The former President decried the shooting and said he and Michelle Obama grieve with the impacted families and are "also angry for them."

"It's long past time for action, any kind of action. And it's another tragedy—a quieter but no less tragic one—for families to wait another day," Obama wrote.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz

The Republican tweeted a response to the shooting on Tuesday afternoon, thanking law enforcement and first responders for acting swiftly.

"Heidi and I are fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde," he wrote.

In separate remarks to CNN reporter Ali Zaslav, Cruz on Tuesday said "you see Democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try and restrict the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. That doesn't work. It's not effective. That doesn't prevent crime."

"We know what does prevent crime, which is going after felons and fugitives and those with serious mental illness," Cruz added.

Texas Senator John Cornyn

The state's other Republican senator called the shooting "every parent and teacher's worst nightmare."

"No parent, child, or teacher should ever have to wonder whether it's safe to go to school," he wrote. "This is an excruciatingly painful time for the tight-knit Uvalde community and for all Texans."

The lawmaker told Politico that he is heading back to his home state after the shooting.

"My heart goes out to those in the hospital receiving care and to the loved ones of those who lost their lives," Cornyn wrote.

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro

Castro, a Democrat who represents a district that includes half of San Antonio, which is approximately 85 miles east of Uvalde, commented on the close-knit community of the small town.

"My heart goes out to the community and the families in Uvalde devastated by gun violence today," he tweeted. "This is a parent's worst nightmare. We need gun reform now."

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzalez

The Republican lawmaker represents the district that includes Uvalde. Gonzalez on Tuesday said his heart was breaking for the community.

Texas Gov. Candidate Beto O'Rourke

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy

The Democratic Senator, who represents the Sandy Hook community and has long been an advocate for gun control, delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor immediately following the Tuesday shooting.

For five minutes, Murphy emphatically addressed his colleagues, calling for gun control.

"This isn't inevitable. These kids weren't unlucky. This only happens in this country and nowhere else," Murphy said. "Nowhere else do little kids go to school thinking that they might be shot that day."

California Rep. Nancy Pelosi

The Democratic speaker of the House told CNN that "words are inadequate to describe the agony and outrage at the cold-blooded massacre of little schoolchildren and a teacher at Robb Elementary School today."

"This monstrous shooting stole the futures of precious children."

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Ocasio-Cortez called for action in a Tuesday tweet.

"There is no such thing as being "pro-life" while supporting laws that let children be shot in their schools, elders in grocery stores, worshippers in their houses of faith, survivors by abusers, or anyone in a crowded place," she wrote. "It is an idolatry of violence. And it must end."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

The Garden State's Democratic governor called for an end to the nation's "gun violence epidemic" in a Tuesday tweet.

"Heartbroken by today's elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas," Murphy wrote. "No child or educator should ever fear going to school, and no parent should ever fear sending their child to school."

Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal

The Democratic lawmaker said her heart breaks for the families impacted by the shooting and said "enough is enough."