President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Uvalde, Texas, on Sunday to meet with the families of the victims of this week's elementary school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.
Upon arrival, Biden came to leave a bouquet of flowers with the first lady in the space in tribute to the victims created at the entrance to the school with 21 white crosses.
A group of people in the place greeted them with applause, but when Texas Governor Greg Abbott arrived, boos were heard.
Texas authorities have faced criticism from both inside and outside the community for waiting about an hour before directly confronting the shooter.
While there, Biden plans to speak with local officials and religious leaders, and with the families of the victims in an effort to show support for a community reeling from the tragedy, the White House told NBC News.
It will be Biden's second visit to the scene of a shooting in just weeks.
The president made a similar trip to Buffalo, New York, on May 17, where he met with community leaders and family members of the victims of a racially motivated attack on a Buffalo grocery store.
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Family members visit a space honoring the victims of the mass shooting at an elementary school on May 27, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The trip will give Biden the chance to once again ask Congress to pass legislation
requiring background checks for all firearms buyers
and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
In recent days, Biden has increasingly called on lawmakers to take action, accusing those who oppose new gun restrictions of bowing to pressure from industry and gun-rights advocates.
While a bipartisan group of lawmakers has restarted talks to reach an agreement to pass some sort of gun control bill, there is little optimism in Congress that the 60 votes needed to pass any legislation can be mustered. the Senate, even a stripped down version of what Biden is asking for.
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The community of Uvalde prepares to bid farewell to the 21 fatalities of the massacre
May 29, 202202:15
When the president arrives in Uvalde, he will be greeted by a city struggling not only with grief, but also with unanswered questions about how the shooting unfolded and why the police were so slow to act.