Israel mourns with America in the wake of a mass shooting Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday.
“Israel mourns together with the American people the horrific murder of innocent children and teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas,” Bennett said in a tweeted statement.
“Our prayers are with the victims, their families and the American people,” he added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog likewise expressed heartbreak at the horrific murder on Tuesday that left two teachers and 19 children dead in a single fourth-grade classroom.
“Horrified to hear news of the murderous rampage at Robb Elementary School in Texas,” Herzog wrote in a tweet. “Our hearts are broken.
“The death of a child is a tragedy beyond measure, let alone the killing of nineteen innocent children and two adults.
“Israel joins the people of the United States in grief.”
In the wake of the tragedy, New York State Governor announced she was directing state police to conduct daily check-ins at schools beginning immediately and continuing through the end of the school year.
Hochul noted in a tweet that at present in the State of New York, an 18-year-old can buy an AR-15 assault rifle without a license. (italics added)
“That’s wrong and I’m going to work with the legislature to change that,” she wrote.
The 18-year-old gunman responsible for the slaughter, Salvador Rolando Ramos, first shot and critically wounded his grandmother before setting out for his deadly rampage at the school, police said.
He used the multiple assault weapons he purchased earlier this month soon after celebrating his 18th birthday, for the attack. Ramos was wearing a “tactical vest” in which he had stored extra magazines for the weapons, investigators said.
The killer had no known affiliations with any gang, and no known criminal history, investigators added.
According to friends interviewed by The Washington Post, Ramos was severely bullied in middle school for a lisp and stutter. He wasn’t doing well in high school, and was not on track to graduate this year as a result. There were serious problems in his relationship with his mother, who allegedly had a drug problem, and moved out earlier this year to live with his grandmother.
President Joe Biden ordered flags on all government buildings nationwide to be flown at half-mast until the end of the week, as a tribute to the victims.
