Tamera Mowry Skips ‘The Real’ Taping to Mourn Loss of Niece Alaina Housley Killed in Thousand Oaks Shooting

Tamera Mowry-Housley has taken a step away from her talk show The Real following the death of her niece, Alaina Housley, PEOPLE reports.

Mowry-Housley, whose niece was killed in last week’s mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, was absent from Monday’s episode of the Fox talk show as she mourns the loss of the 18-year-old, whom she and husband Adam Housley announced last week was among the 12 victims of the shooting.

“As you can see, our girl Tamera isn’t here with us. She’s at home with her family mourning the death of her niece,” co-host Loni Love began the episode. “We don’t even have time to grieve before the next (shooting) happens. This time it directly affected members of our family. How do you begin to process something like this?”

During the Monday segment, the co-hosts spent the first 20 minutes paying tribute to Housley, recalling the night of the shooting, and discussing the topic of gun control.

“What do we do, and the bigger question is why are people doing this?” Adrienne Houghton asked. “Why is it always a white male? I hate that race has to come into it, but it is a very real question to ask. I hate the idea that we keep bringing up race…but it feels like we’re being torn apart in so many different directions.”

In a statement from Mowry-Housley read on air by Houghton, the Sister, Sister alum thanked her co-hosts for their support and pledged to “do everything she can to make sure that our children and our community feels safe.”

“She said, ‘Enough is enough,’” Houghton read. “She said she will never give up fighting until her dying day.”

Houghton also said that Mowry-Housley’s statement encouraged viewers to vote and contact their local representatives to help end gun violence. Houghton also read a statement from Adam Housley.

“I spoke to Adam and he, along with what we just said, he also wanted to add this,” she said. “‘While we’re helping these gun laws and trying to make that happen, before we can even get a consistent national gun policy, we have to understand that we as a country and as a society are at a crossroads. The hatred, the judgment, the polarization and the lack of heart. We are going to make a change I can guarantee it, and Alaina is with us as we do this.’”

The opening segment of the show ended with a moment of silence and a tribute for the victims of the shooting.

Following the 20-minute opening, White House reporter April Ryan filled in for Mowry-Housley.