Celebrities have spoken out after a gunman shot and killed 20 people and left 26 injured in the latest deadly mass shooting in the United States. A 21-year-old white male opened fire at a Walmart in the El Paso, Texas reportedly targeting minorities, specifically immigrants, Saturday morning.
The story was reportedly at capacity during the back-to-school season, with as many as 3,000 people inside.
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The tragedy brought many public figures and celebrities to social media, mourning the loss of the victims and begging for a change in policies and in gun laws to prevent further tragedies in the country.
Take a look at some of the messages shared by celebrities and politicians Saturday after the El Paso shooting.
Beto O’Rourke
The El Paso native and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate was visibly emotion as he spoke about the tragedy.
“I’m thinking about El Paso, I want you to be thinking about El Paso as well,” O’Rourke told reporters at a labor union forum in Las Vegas, adding that the shooting dispels “any illusion that we had that progress is inevitable or that the change that we need is going to come of its own accord.”
O’Rourke continued, “There is no luxury in this democracy of sitting this one out, whether it is gun violence, whether it is many of the issues we discuss today. It is on every single one of us to make this right.”
A few hours later, from the airport, O’Rourke told followers: “El Paso is one of the strongest places in the world — and if there were ever a moment to be strong, it’s this one.”
President Donald Trump
The president shared a statement soon after news broke via Twitter: “Terrible shootings in ElPaso, Texas. Reports are very bad, many killed. Working with State and Local authorities, and Law Enforcement. Spoke to Governor to pledge total support of Federal Government. God be with you all!”
He later shared another statement, with less typos, which read: “Today’s shooting in El Paso, Texas was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people…. Melania and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the great people of Texas.”
Piper Perabo
“My goodness [hertbreak emoji and a U.S. flag emoji] this is happening every weekend. Please Congress, please pass gun safety laws. @senatemajldr @GOP I’m looking at you. #ElPaso” the actress wrote on Twitter.
Julianne Moore
The Oscar-winning actress also took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the tragedy.
This is a public health crisis. Hold your lawmakers responsible. @MomsDemand @Everytown 🧡 https://t.co/pVzKPHeYu1
— Julianne Moore (@_juliannemoore) August 3, 2019
Aaron Paul
“PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS…JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER,” Westworld star Aaron Paul tweeted.
Josh Gad
“My heart breaks for the city of El Paso. The madness never ends. It is all too much. There’a nowhere safe from the terror of gun violence in the United States of America. We are a broken nation trapped in the darkness of our unwillingness to ask ourselves why this keeps happening,” the actor wrote.
Sophia Bush
The Chicago P.D. alum took to Instagram to share someone else’s tweet showing the number of mass shootings per country, showing U.S. has had 249 tragedies just in 2019.
View this post on Instagram
“These are all FACTS. Swipe through. Read the article (link also in my bio). Enough is enough. ENOUGH. IS. ENOUGH. https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-america/ My heart is broken for the families in #ElPaso. This is #DomesticTerrorism. White supremacy is terrorism. Period,” she wrote in the caption of the post.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
The Hobbs and Shaw star took to Twitter to ask for open dialogue as to how to solve the epidemic of mass shootings in the country.
“My heart, love & strength go out to El Paso,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. “Victims and their families. Grateful to our first responders. Stay strong as we’re forced to heal yet again. What leader will step up to command wiser/effective talks? Not sure what the answers are but it all starts with open dialogue.”
Nick Jonas
The Jonas Brothers member took to Twitter to also share his condolences with the victims.
“Heartbroken hearing the news from El Paso. Sending my thoughts and prayers to all the victims and families. So sad. So senseless. We need change,” he wrote.
