Donald Trump slams US govt over Texas school shooting

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Former US president Donald Trump on Friday slammed the Joe Biden government over the Texas school shooting as he suggested that the country was prioritising the Ukraine war over the security in schools. Addressing the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting in Houston amid growing calls for stronger gun control measures, Trump said that the US government focus on funding for school security. “If the United States has USD 40 billion to send to Ukraine, we should be able to do whatever it takes to keep our children safe at home. We spent trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan and got nothing for it. Before we nation-build the rest of the world, we should be building safe schools for our own children in our own nation,” the former president added. The US recently cleared an aid of around $54bn to Ukraine to help the war-torn nation rebuild the country. "What’s more repulsive is the rush to shift blame away from the villains who commit acts of mass violence and to place that blame onto the shoulders of millions of peaceful, law-abiding citizens who belong to organisations such as our wonderful NRA," he said while referring to gun reform advocates. Trump also launched an attack against the Democrats.

One of the country’s biggest gun lobbies, the NRA went ahead and held the Friday event despite fresh concerns over gun control. On its website, the lobby said the gathering paid tributes to the victims of the Uvalde school shooting. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil crime. On behalf of our members, we salute the courage of school officials, first responders and others who offered their support and services,” it said. “Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal. As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure,” it added.

The US witnessed one of the worst mass shootings this week when an 18-year-old, later identified as Salvador Ramos, opened fire, killing 19 children and two teachers. The gruesome killing took place at a Texas elementary school in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde.

Ramos reportedly had an argument with his grandmother and shot at and injured her critically on May24. After shooting her, he drove his car to Robb Elementary School and opened fire there. The accused was later killed by the police. The Uvalde shooting is the deadliest in the United States since 20 children and six staff members were fatally shot at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012.

Soon after the horror unfolded, Joe Biden tweeted: “These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Where in God's name is our backbone to have the courage to stand up to the gun lobby? It is time to turn this pain into action.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)