Statement on Uvalde School Shooting

Yesterday America suffered yet another school shooting tragedy this time in the small town of Uvalde, Texas, 60 miles east of the U.S. and Mexico border striking again at the heart of the Latino community in the United States with the death of 19 children and two teachers.

There are no words to describe the depth of pain and grief that families in Uvalde are feeling today and that this community will feel forever. Many of the young victims of the shooting were Latinx children who were trapped in their classroom with their two teachers doing what kids all over America do every day—learn.

This latest shooting comes one week after a deadly shooting targeting African Americans in Buffalo, New York, and three years after a similar mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, where the governor promised another such shooting would never happen again in his state. Sadly, these are promises that politicians make but can not fulfill.

We are all left with the emptiness of being powerless and held hostage to desperate people with the unfettered ability to buy guns. As a Center, we stand con las familias of Uvalde, Texas as we stood with las familias of El Paso in 2019, and with all communities impacted by gun violence. We will continue to strive to educate our kids and uplift them despite all obstacles. Fuerza Uvalde!

Carolina Latinx Center Leadership Team