How Twitter is Responding to Texas Elementary School Shooting

At least 2 adults and 19 students were killed in the most deadly school shooting in over a decade. The shooting took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas just a week after the Buffalo shooting that took 10 lives. Now, as people on social media grapple with the understanding of another mass shooting, especially one targeting children. The tragedy also comes as the Supreme Court is soon to make a decision regarding what states can dictate on carrying guns in public. Now, the shooting causes different hashtags to trend online as people beg for the violence to stop and who is to blame.

Although impossible to grapple with and understand the incredible tragedy, many took to Twitter to voice their grief and sympathies for the families affected. “Filled with rage and grief, and so broken by the murders in Uvalde. By Buffalo, Laguna Woods and so many others. By the ways in which we, as a nation, have become conditioned to unfathomable and unbearable heartbreak. Steve’s words ring so true and cut so deep,” wrote Taylor Swift on Twitter. Actor Matthew McConaughey, originally from Uvalde, wrote “we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us” without specifically mentioning guns or reforms.”

Other hashtags relating to the shooting trended online as well, like “#BanAssaultWeaponsNow” and “#VoteBluetoSaveOurKids.” Beto O’Rourke, who is running for governor in Texas, began trending on Twitter after interrupting a news conferenced hosted by his oponet Greg Abott. As security guards escorted him out, he yelled that “Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state, or they will continue to be killed.”

This caused #BetoForTexas to begin to trend online as people encouraged Texans to vote for Beto as a solution to gun violence. “Beto is on the people’s side standing up against the people that let this happen over and over,” one person wrote. Chicago also began to trend online after the governor Greg Abbott notes that “I hate to say this, there are more people that are shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas.” This comment caused discussion of what some deem “the murder capital of the country” and who is doing the shootings in Chicago.

How to help

As more information emerges about the shooting and victims, the feeling of hopelessness can be relentless. But, according to NPR, there are ways to help. The largest transfuser of blood in the San Antonio area, the University Health System, encourages people in the community to donate blood to hospitals and centers.

Those not local to Texas can help by donating to an online fundraiser helping victim expenses or the families and loved ones of victims. GoFundMe has an established page dedicated to verified fundraisers for those affected.

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