By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

For Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, his trip last week with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to the Mexican border near McAllen, Texas, was an eye opener.

Soldan was one of five Kansas sheriffs selected to accompany Marshall to the McAllen, Texas, area of the border for briefings, tours, and meetings with border patrol, Homeland Security, and State of Texas officials. The trip came amid the growing fentanyl crisis that is wreaking havoc in Kansas and across the nation.

“After visiting the southern border with Sheriffs Hayden, Hill, Soldan, Richards, and Morse, it’s clear that what is going on is a human tragedy in every sense of the word. At nighttime, it even looks like a war zone and there is a humanitarian crisis here that is lived out every day,” Marshall said in a statement issued after the trip. “Border patrol officers are simply overwhelmed and this is an unsustainable situation."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Other Kansas sheriffs making the trip were Calvin Hayden of Johnson County, Brian Hill of Shawnee County, Jeff Richards of Franklin County, and Tim Morse of Jackson County.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. While pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients, it also has become a dangerous illegally used drug. Fentanyl that is sold illegally is primarily manufactured in Mexico, the DEA noted.

Fentanyl produces effects similar to other opioid analgesics, such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression, according to the DEA.

Fentanyl also is playing a major role in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. 

According to a January report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, "Fentanyl continues to drive the uptick in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. This is largely attributed to increased availability, accessibility and use of illegally manufactured fentanyl statewide. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often combined with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, or used as a standalone drug. Due to its potency, fentanyl-involved overdoses have a fast onset and may be difficult to reverse."

Marshall recently announced support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s3336/BILLS-117s3336is.pdf">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>. The legislation would permanently give law enforcement the tools to help combat the fentanyl crisis, according to information from the senator's office. The legislation would permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a class into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Fentanyl-related substances’ current Schedule I classification is temporary and set to expire later this year, Marshall's office noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Soldan said that just in the McAllen, Texas, area, U.S. Border Patrol personnel encounter up to 1,000 immigrants a night trying to cross into the United States.

"Most of them are not Mexican citizens. They're mostly from other countries and come through Mexico to get to the U.S.," Soldan said. "The cartels are bring them up and then they'll send a wave of them across and then they'll follow that with people smuggling drugs or whatever because the border patrol is overwhelmed by the number of just immigrants, people trying to better their lives."

Soldan said he was struck by the number of children at the border. One night his group encountered a couple of girls under the age of 10 who had been sent by themselves to the U.S. border.

"They (their families) paid to get them brought here and all they had when they get to the United States is a phone number of someone to call to help them," Soldan said. 

Soldan's group went out Thursday night with the Texas Highway Patrol. The next morning, the group received a briefing about Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's response to the rise in illegal immigration.

The group then when out with the Texas Highway Patrol boat team on the Rio Grande River before visiting one of the check points, Soldan said.

The group then met with one of the ranchers who's land is near a check point. 

"The check point's 70 miles north of the border. It's on the highway going out. It's kind of a last defense against people coming north. That was an interesting stop, because on his ground, he's (rancher) getting over 100 dead people a year. People bring them up close (to the check point) and then tell them to walk across the ranch to get to the north side and then they get picked up for a ride to go north so they don't go through the check point," Soldan said.

"Its like walking on a superfine sandy beach in 115-degree weather," he continued. "They call it the 'Death Valley' for immigrants."

Friday night, Soldan's group went out with the Brooks County Sheriff Office personnel whose county includes the check point and the ranch. Within about 45 minutes, they had detected via camera some people jumping the fence between the ranch and a rest area.

"So they walk for two days through his ranch, jump the fence, come into the rest area, and then they all pile into a car that came down from Houston to pick 'em up," Soldan said.

He said two women from Houston were going to get paid $1,500 to pick up the illegal immigrants. 

"They picked them up. They all piled into the car and the truck and took off north and we stopped them," Soldan said. "Five of them fled over the fence into the brush. We had two immigrants and the two suspects that picked them up."

Soldan said it is a felony in Texas to smuggle people. 

The four remaining people were arrested and Border Patrol officers searched in a field and located one of the female immigrants that fled from the car.

"She was so dehydrated that they ended up carrying her back in the dark," he said.

All of the officers Soldan's group was with treated the immigrants in a humanitarian way.

"Contrary to what you would see on TV or what people want you to believe, they treated them very well," Soldan said.

"If you think about it, if it's that busy in that 35-mile stretch of the border, there's a whole lot of border down there. The governor has activated 10,000 Texas National Guard troops that are working on helping them. And they've got a thousand of their highway patrol, fish and game, Texas Rangers, he's got 1,000 of those guys down there helping just with border security and it's still coming," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415194346.png" alt="U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, center, and select Kansas sheriffs, including Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan (standing behind the senator) receive a briefing from a local farmer who is dealing with the border crisis. Photos courtesy U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, center, and select Kansas sheriffs, including Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan (standing behind the senator) receive a briefing from a local farmer who is dealing with the border crisis. Photos courtesy U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostFor Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, his trip last week with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to the Mexican border near McAllen, Texas, was an eye opener.Soldan was one of five Kansas sheriffs selected to accompany Marshall to the McAllen, Texas, area of the border for briefings, tours, and meetings with border patrol, Homeland Security, and State of Texas officials. The trip came amid the growing fentanyl crisis that is wreaking havoc in Kansas and across the nation.“After visiting the southern border with Sheriffs Hayden, Hill, Soldan, Richards, and Morse, it’s clear that what is going on is a human tragedy in every sense of the word. At nighttime, it even looks like a war zone and there is a humanitarian crisis here that is lived out every day,” Marshall said in a statement issued after the trip. “Border patrol officers are simply overwhelmed and this is an unsustainable situation."&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Kansas sheriffs making the trip were Calvin Hayden of Johnson County, Brian Hill of Shawnee County, Jeff Richards of Franklin County, and Tim Morse of Jackson County.About fentanylAccording to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. While pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients, it also has become a dangerous illegally used drug. Fentanyl that is sold illegally is primarily manufactured in Mexico, the DEA noted.Fentanyl produces effects similar to other opioid analgesics, such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression, according to the DEA.Fentanyl also is playing a major role in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. According to a January report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, "Fentanyl continues to drive the uptick in fatal drug overdoses in Kansas. This is largely attributed to increased availability, accessibility and use of illegally manufactured fentanyl statewide. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is often combined with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, or used as a standalone drug. Due to its potency, fentanyl-involved overdoses have a fast onset and may be difficult to reverse."Marshall recently announced support for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s3336/BILLS-117s3336is.pdf">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>. The legislation would permanently give law enforcement the tools to help combat the fentanyl crisis, according to information from the senator's office. The legislation would permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a class into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Fentanyl-related substances’ current Schedule I classification is temporary and set to expire later this year, Marshall's office noted.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T-JPV-qtKWA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At the borderSoldan said that just in the McAllen, Texas, area, U.S. Border Patrol personnel encounter up to 1,000 immigrants a night trying to cross into the United States."Most of them are not Mexican citizens. They're mostly from other countries and come through Mexico to get to the U.S.," Soldan said. "The cartels are bring them up and then they'll send a wave of them across and then they'll follow that with people smuggling drugs or whatever because the border patrol is overwhelmed by the number of just immigrants, people trying to better their lives."Soldan said he was struck by the number of children at the border. One night his group encountered a couple of girls under the age of 10 who had been sent by themselves to the U.S. border."They (their families) paid to get them brought here and all they had when they get to the United States is a phone number of someone to call to help them," Soldan said. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415159179.png" alt="The group received a briefing about the border situation and what was being done." />
 <figcaption>The group received a briefing about the border situation and what was being done.</figcaption>
 </figure>Soldan's group went out Thursday night with the Texas Highway Patrol. The next morning, the group received a briefing about Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's response to the rise in illegal immigration.The group then when out with the Texas Highway Patrol boat team on the Rio Grande River before visiting one of the check points, Soldan said.The group then met with one of the ranchers who's land is near a check point. "The check point's 70 miles north of the border. It's on the highway going out. It's kind of a last defense against people coming north. That was an interesting stop, because on his ground, he's (rancher) getting over 100 dead people a year. People bring them up close (to the check point) and then tell them to walk across the ranch to get to the north side and then they get picked up for a ride to go north so they don't go through the check point," Soldan said."Its like walking on a superfine sandy beach in 115-degree weather," he continued. "They call it the 'Death Valley' for immigrants."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653415106396.png" alt="Marshall and Kansas sheriffs receive a night tour with Brooks County Sheriff's Office personnel." />
 <figcaption>Marshall and Kansas sheriffs receive a night tour with Brooks County Sheriff's Office personnel.</figcaption>
 </figure>Friday night, Soldan's group went out with the Brooks County Sheriff Office personnel whose county includes the check point and the ranch. Within about 45 minutes, they had detected via camera some people jumping the fence between the ranch and a rest area."So they walk for two days through his ranch, jump the fence, come into the rest area, and then they all pile into a car that came down from Houston to pick 'em up," Soldan said.He said two women from Houston were going to get paid $1,500 to pick up the illegal immigrants. "They picked them up. They all piled into the car and the truck and took off north and we stopped them," Soldan said. "Five of them fled over the fence into the brush. We had two immigrants and the two suspects that picked them up."Soldan said it is a felony in Texas to smuggle people. The four remaining people were arrested and Border Patrol officers searched in a field and located one of the female immigrants that fled from the car."She was so dehydrated that they ended up carrying her back in the dark," he said.All of the officers Soldan's group was with treated the immigrants in a humanitarian way."Contrary to what you would see on TV or what people want you to believe, they treated them very well," Soldan said."If you think about it, if it's that busy in that 35-mile stretch of the border, there's a whole lot of border down there. The governor has activated 10,000 Texas National Guard troops that are working on helping them. And they've got a thousand of their highway patrol, fish and game, Texas Rangers, he's got 1,000 of those guys down there helping just with border security and it's still coming," he said.

Kansas sheriff: Trip to border with Senator an eye opener

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating several different scam calls in Cowley County Sheriff's Office over the past few weeks, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti.

 The first was a "Cybersecurity for Amazon" which resulted in a $21,500 loss in Apple gift cards and the scammer getting all the individuals banking information by posing as a government agent attempting to stop scammers. 

The second was a DEA Agent attempting to collect money or they were going to have the individual arrested and prosecuted. The victim in this case was out $15,000.00 dollars, according to Faletti.

The Sheriff reminded the public, "If someone calls you and is requesting you send money via gift cards like Apple, Greendot, or Visa this is not a way to pay a debt to a collector. Also, do not give personal information to anyone who calls you that you don't know. Never send cash to a debt collector who claims its the "safest way to do this"

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating several different scam calls in Cowley County Sheriff's Office over the past few weeks, according to Sheriff Dave Faletti. The first was a "Cybersecurity for Amazon" which resulted in a $21,500 loss in Apple gift cards and the scammer getting all the individuals banking information by posing as a government agent attempting to stop scammers. The second was a DEA Agent attempting to collect money or they were going to have the individual arrested and prosecuted. The victim in this case was out $15,000.00 dollars, according to Faletti.The Sheriff reminded the public, "If someone calls you and is requesting you send money via gift cards like Apple, Greendot, or Visa this is not a way to pay a debt to a collector. Also, do not give personal information to anyone who calls you that you don't know. Never send cash to a debt collector who claims its the "safest way to do this"

Sheriff: 2 victims in Kansas lost over $35,000 to scammers

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school barricaded himself inside a classroom, “shooting anyone that was in his way,” an official said Wednesday, describing the latest in a gruesome, yearslong&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">series of mass killings</a>&nbsp;at churches, schools and stores.

Police and others responding to Tuesday’s attack broke windows at the school in an effort to allow students and teachers inside to escape, Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday on NBC’s “Today.”

Olivarez told CNN that all victims were in the same fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School. Eventually, the shooter was killed by law enforcement.

Tuesday’s assault in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sandy Hook Elementary</a>&nbsp;in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.

Families waited hours for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shootings-victims-a197fa6758a87d4b496dfca4d707ba47">word on their children</a>. At the town civic center where some gathered, the silence was broken repeatedly by screams and wailing. “No! Please, no!” one man yelled as he embraced another man.

“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, the school district superintendent. “We’re a small community, and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this.”

Gov. Greg Abbott said one of the two adults killed was a teacher.

Adolfo Cruz, a 69-year-old air conditioning repairman, was still outside the school as the sun set, seeking word on his 10-year-old great-granddaughter, Eliajha Cruz Torres.

He drove to the scene after receiving a terrifying call from his daughter shortly following the first reports of the shooting. He said other relatives were at the hospital and the civic center.

Waiting, he said, was the heaviest moment of his life.

The attack was the latest grim moment for a country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/list-of-deadliest-us-school-shootings-f25dad31e68c8acbdbcb952352df9249">scarred by a string of massacres</a>, coming just 10 days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket</a>. And the prospects for any reform of the nation’s gun regulations seemed as dim, if not dimmer, than in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook deaths.

But President Joe Biden appeared ready for a fight, calling for new gun restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-to-address-nation-over-uvalde-school-shooting-c2c414829a7397cb6e3de82636de2ba9">in an address to the nation</a>&nbsp;hours after the attack.

“As a nation we have to ask, when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name are we going to do what has to be done?” Biden asked. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?”

It was not immediately clear how many people in all were wounded, but the school district’s police chief, Pete Arredondo, said there were “several injuries.”

The attack on the school began about 11:30 a.m. The gunman had already shot his grandmother, according to Olivarez of the Department of Public Safety. After fleeing that scene, he crashed his car at the school and made his way inside.

Olivarez said that when local and state officers responded they heard gunshots — and were shot at themselves.

“The shooter was able to make entry into a classroom, barricaded himself inside that classroom and again just began shooting numerous children and teachers that were in that classroom having no regard for human life. … Just began shooting anyone that was in his way,” he said. “At that point we had a tactical law enforcement arrive … that were able to able to make forcible entry into that classroom. They were met with gunfire as well but they were able to shoot and kill that suspect.”

Earlier, a law enforcement official had said one Border Patrol agent who was working nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.

The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school, the law enforcement official said.

Jason Owens, a top regional official with the Border Patrol, said some area agents have children at Robb Elementary.

“It hit home for everybody,” he said.

Staff members in scrubs and devastated victims’ relatives could be seen weeping as they walked out of Uvalde Memorial Hospital, which said 13 children were taken there. Another hospital reported a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.

Officials did not immediately reveal a motive, but they identified the assailant as Salvador Ramos, a resident of the community about 85 miles&nbsp; west of San Antonio. Law enforcement officials said he acted alone.

Uvalde, home to about 16,000 people, is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the border with Mexico. Robb Elementary, which has nearly 600 students in second, third and fourth grades, is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.

The attack came as the school was counting down to the last days of the school year with a series of themed days. Tuesday was to be “Footloose and Fancy,” with students wearing nice outfits.

Ramos had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police. He noted that the gunman “suggested the kids should watch out,” and that he had bought two “assault weapons” after turning 18.

Before heading to the school, Ramos shot his grandmother, Gutierrez said.

Other officials said that the grandmother survived and was being treated, though her condition was not known.

Investigators believe Ramos posted photos on Instagram of two guns he used in the shooting, and they were examining whether he made statements online in the hours before the assault, a law enforcement official said.

Law enforcement officers were serving multiple search warrants Tuesday night and gathering telephone and other records, the official said. Investigators were also attempting to contact Ramos’ relatives and were tracing the firearms.

The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Condolences poured in from leaders around the world. Pope Francis pleaded that it was time say ”‘enough’ to the indiscriminate trade of weapons!” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine, which is at war with Russia after Moscow invaded, said that his nation also knows “the pain of losing innocent young lives.”

The tragedy in Uvalde was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and it added to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-texas-shootings-gun-violence-0fc46ce400c3fed9081ee5c033d2aba5">a grim tally in the state</a>, which has been the site of some of the deadliest shootings in the U.S. over the past five years.

In 2018, a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area. A year before that, a gunman at a Texas church killed more than two dozen people during a Sunday service in the small town of Sutherland Springs. In 2019, another gunman at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people in a racist attack targeting Hispanics.

The shooting came days before the National Rifle Association annual convention was set to begin in Houston. Abbott and both of Texas’ U.S. senators were among elected Republican officials who were the scheduled speakers at a Friday leadership forum sponsored by the NRA’s lobbying arm.

In the years since Sandy Hook, the gun control debate in Congress has waxed and waned. Efforts by lawmakers to change U.S. gun policies in any significant way have consistently faced roadblocks from Republicans and the influence of outside groups such as the NRA.

A year after Sandy Hook, Sens. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, and Patrick J. Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, negotiated a bipartisan proposal to expand the nation’s background check system. But the measure failed in a Senate vote, without enough support to clear a 60-vote filibuster hurdle.

Last year, the House passed two bills to expand background checks on firearms purchases. One bill would have closed a loophole for private and online sales. The other would have extended the background check review period. Both languished in the 50-50 Senate, where Democrats need at least 10 Republican votes to overcome objections from a filibuster.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653483385339.png" alt="Tuesday’s assault in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sandy Hook Elementary</a>&nbsp;in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.-photo courtesy KSAT-TV" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday’s assault in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sandy Hook Elementary</a>&nbsp;in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.-photo courtesy KSAT-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school barricaded himself inside a classroom, “shooting anyone that was in his way,” an official said Wednesday, describing the latest in a gruesome, yearslong&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">series of mass killings</a>&nbsp;at churches, schools and stores.Police and others responding to Tuesday’s attack broke windows at the school in an effort to allow students and teachers inside to escape, Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday on NBC’s “Today.”Olivarez told CNN that all victims were in the same fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School. Eventually, the shooter was killed by law enforcement.Tuesday’s assault in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sandy Hook Elementary</a>&nbsp;in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.Families waited hours for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shootings-victims-a197fa6758a87d4b496dfca4d707ba47">word on their children</a>. At the town civic center where some gathered, the silence was broken repeatedly by screams and wailing. “No! Please, no!” one man yelled as he embraced another man.“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, the school district superintendent. “We’re a small community, and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this.”Gov. Greg Abbott said one of the two adults killed was a teacher.Adolfo Cruz, a 69-year-old air conditioning repairman, was still outside the school as the sun set, seeking word on his 10-year-old great-granddaughter, Eliajha Cruz Torres.He drove to the scene after receiving a terrifying call from his daughter shortly following the first reports of the shooting. He said other relatives were at the hospital and the civic center.Waiting, he said, was the heaviest moment of his life.“I hope she is alive,” Cruz said.The attack was the latest grim moment for a country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/list-of-deadliest-us-school-shootings-f25dad31e68c8acbdbcb952352df9249">scarred by a string of massacres</a>, coming just 10 days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket</a>. And the prospects for any reform of the nation’s gun regulations seemed as dim, if not dimmer, than in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook deaths.But President Joe Biden appeared ready for a fight, calling for new gun restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-to-address-nation-over-uvalde-school-shooting-c2c414829a7397cb6e3de82636de2ba9">in an address to the nation</a>&nbsp;hours after the attack.“As a nation we have to ask, when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name are we going to do what has to be done?” Biden asked. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?”It was not immediately clear how many people in all were wounded, but the school district’s police chief, Pete Arredondo, said there were “several injuries.”The attack on the school began about 11:30 a.m. The gunman had already shot his grandmother, according to Olivarez of the Department of Public Safety. After fleeing that scene, he crashed his car at the school and made his way inside.Olivarez said that when local and state officers responded they heard gunshots — and were shot at themselves.“The shooter was able to make entry into a classroom, barricaded himself inside that classroom and again just began shooting numerous children and teachers that were in that classroom having no regard for human life. … Just began shooting anyone that was in his way,” he said. “At that point we had a tactical law enforcement arrive … that were able to able to make forcible entry into that classroom. They were met with gunfire as well but they were able to shoot and kill that suspect.”Earlier, a law enforcement official had said one Border Patrol agent who was working nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school, the law enforcement official said.Jason Owens, a top regional official with the Border Patrol, said some area agents have children at Robb Elementary.“It hit home for everybody,” he said.Staff members in scrubs and devastated victims’ relatives could be seen weeping as they walked out of Uvalde Memorial Hospital, which said 13 children were taken there. Another hospital reported a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.Officials did not immediately reveal a motive, but they identified the assailant as Salvador Ramos, a resident of the community about 85 miles&nbsp; west of San Antonio. Law enforcement officials said he acted alone.Uvalde, home to about 16,000 people, is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the border with Mexico. Robb Elementary, which has nearly 600 students in second, third and fourth grades, is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.The attack came as the school was counting down to the last days of the school year with a series of themed days. Tuesday was to be “Footloose and Fancy,” with students wearing nice outfits.Ramos had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police. He noted that the gunman “suggested the kids should watch out,” and that he had bought two “assault weapons” after turning 18.Before heading to the school, Ramos shot his grandmother, Gutierrez said.Other officials said that the grandmother survived and was being treated, though her condition was not known.Investigators believe Ramos posted photos on Instagram of two guns he used in the shooting, and they were examining whether he made statements online in the hours before the assault, a law enforcement official said.Law enforcement officers were serving multiple search warrants Tuesday night and gathering telephone and other records, the official said. Investigators were also attempting to contact Ramos’ relatives and were tracing the firearms.The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Condolences poured in from leaders around the world. Pope Francis pleaded that it was time say ”‘enough’ to the indiscriminate trade of weapons!” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine, which is at war with Russia after Moscow invaded, said that his nation also knows “the pain of losing innocent young lives.”The tragedy in Uvalde was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and it added to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-texas-shootings-gun-violence-0fc46ce400c3fed9081ee5c033d2aba5">a grim tally in the state</a>, which has been the site of some of the deadliest shootings in the U.S. over the past five years.In 2018, a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area. A year before that, a gunman at a Texas church killed more than two dozen people during a Sunday service in the small town of Sutherland Springs. In 2019, another gunman at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people in a racist attack targeting Hispanics.The shooting came days before the National Rifle Association annual convention was set to begin in Houston. Abbott and both of Texas’ U.S. senators were among elected Republican officials who were the scheduled speakers at a Friday leadership forum sponsored by the NRA’s lobbying arm.In the years since Sandy Hook, the gun control debate in Congress has waxed and waned. Efforts by lawmakers to change U.S. gun policies in any significant way have consistently faced roadblocks from Republicans and the influence of outside groups such as the NRA.A year after Sandy Hook, Sens. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, and Patrick J. Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, negotiated a bipartisan proposal to expand the nation’s background check system. But the measure failed in a Senate vote, without enough support to clear a 60-vote filibuster hurdle.Last year, the House passed two bills to expand background checks on firearms purchases. One bill would have closed a loophole for private and online sales. The other would have extended the background check review period. Both languished in the 50-50 Senate, where Democrats need at least 10 Republican votes to overcome objections from a filibuster.___

Officials: All those killed at Texas school were in one room

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive recall is getting most of the blame for the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">baby formula shortage</a>, but experts say the products have long been vulnerable to this type of crisis due to decades-old policies that have allowed a handful of companies to corner the market.

Those government rules — aimed at assuring safe, affordable formula — are getting renewed scrutiny as President Joe Biden’s administration rushes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-53857b4ba1006a8bf85caad251517f4c">import formula</a>&nbsp;from Europe.

“There’s perfectly good and safe baby formula available around the world. We just don’t have access to it,” said Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc, a supply chain analytics firm. ”We’ve created this problem by not setting up an infrastructure for imports.”

Federal regulators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">are expected</a>&nbsp;to soon allow Abbott Nutrition to reopen the Michigan plant that’s been closed since February due to contamination problems.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-1e54ff345ab2a4be93f2e24d991e4450">The factory</a>&nbsp;is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and its shutdown — combined with pandemic-related supply chain problems — hobbled supplies of popular formulas and specialty formulas for children with rare medical conditions.

Lawmakers will hold three hearings on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-business-health-d3e32ba9e2381f77c299391e762abe21">the issue</a>&nbsp;this week, calling on company executives, government regulators and outside experts to testify. The attention could spur changes to government safety and contracting rules that have been in place since the 1980s and favor big U.S. manufacturers that are capable of navigating the complex requirements.

Baby formula is one of the few American products essentially unaffected by globalization, with 98% of the supply manufactured domestically. Four companies account for roughly 90% of the market: Abbott, Reckitt, Nestle and Perrigo, according to industry figures. That consolidation mirrors similar trends across the food industry.

But infant formula wasn’t part of a Biden administration initiative last year spotlighting dangerously concentrated industries, including prescription drugs, airlines, hearing aids and internet services.

Food experts say strict formula regulations set by the Food and Drug Administration have long limited competition.

Beginning in 1980, Congress gave the FDA authority to rigorously enforce the nutritional content of all formula sold in the U.S., imposing extra research and manufacturing standards that have few equivalents worldwide. The changes came after some babies were sickened by deficient formulas in the 1970s.

“They are pretty much the strictest food safety guidelines in the U.S. and America has some of the strictest guidelines in the world,” said Wendy White, a food safety expert at Georgia Tech.

Companies must consult with the FDA before selling a new formula, altering ingredients in an existing one or making major manufacturing changes. The result is only the biggest manufacturers have plants and procedures that comply with federal rules. And would-be competitors have little incentive to enter the field, given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-pandemics-a19eb76d3c0b6077a7c2d1ae92a4a67f">declining</a>&nbsp;U.S. birth rate.

“You have to have a lot of expertise, a lot of resources and a lot of research dollars,” White said.

There are other hurdles for foreign manufacturers looking to compete. The U.S. has long imposed tariffs and quotas on dairy imports from abroad, including Canada, in order to shield American milk producers from competition.

Responding to political pressure, the Biden administration has begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-indianapolis-00f39fd46778ecdd543c22f3630d79ba">airlifting shipments</a>&nbsp;of formula from Europe. The FDA is also waiving some requirements to encourage more imports from overseas manufacturers that are expected to boost supplies in coming weeks.

The biggest driver of the U.S. market, by far, is a massive federal nutrition program that provides formula and other foods to lower-income women and children. The WIC program accounts for more than 50% of the U.S. market, providing formula for more than 1.2 million babies, according to the National WIC Association, which represents state and local administrators who run the benefit.

Beginning in 1989, federal law has required states to award contracts to a single formula company, based on whichever one can offer the biggest discounts.

The effect is that contract winners quickly squeeze out much of the competition on store shelves. Today, all 50 WIC contracts are held by three companies: Abbott, Reckitt and Nestle, according to the association. Abbott is the leader, with 34 state contracts.

The competitive effects of these sole-source contracts have been researched for years. A 2011 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that whichever company wins a state’s WIC contract typically sees their market share grow by 74%, on average, as WIC recipients switch to their brand.

But not everyone supports overhauling the system. Brian Dittmeier of the National WIC Association says doing away with sole-source contracts would jeopardize the savings that allow the plan to serve so many Americans. Instead he says manufacturers should be held accountable for not investing in their own capacity.

“This is a manufacturing failure,” Dittmeier said. “The fact is there just is not enough product to fulfill the demand that manufacturers have drummed up over the years.” His group supports calls by some lawmakers for a federal antitrust investigation into the industry.

WIC contracts are generally rebid every four years and market share swings back and forth between the handful of players who compete.

Dr. Steven Abrams, a pediatrician at the University of Texas at Austin, says Congress should revisit the WIC program.

“We need to take a comprehensive look at where the failures happened and where we can fix them” said Abrams. “We need to consider whether we really want to have a situation where there’s that much dominance in the program.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648164055231.png" alt="In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image" />
 <figcaption>In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive recall is getting most of the blame for the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">baby formula shortage</a>, but experts say the products have long been vulnerable to this type of crisis due to decades-old policies that have allowed a handful of companies to corner the market.Those government rules — aimed at assuring safe, affordable formula — are getting renewed scrutiny as President Joe Biden’s administration rushes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-53857b4ba1006a8bf85caad251517f4c">import formula</a>&nbsp;from Europe.“There’s perfectly good and safe baby formula available around the world. We just don’t have access to it,” said Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc, a supply chain analytics firm. ”We’ve created this problem by not setting up an infrastructure for imports.”Federal regulators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">are expected</a>&nbsp;to soon allow Abbott Nutrition to reopen the Michigan plant that’s been closed since February due to contamination problems.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-1e54ff345ab2a4be93f2e24d991e4450">The factory</a>&nbsp;is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and its shutdown — combined with pandemic-related supply chain problems — hobbled supplies of popular formulas and specialty formulas for children with rare medical conditions.Lawmakers will hold three hearings on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-business-health-d3e32ba9e2381f77c299391e762abe21">the issue</a>&nbsp;this week, calling on company executives, government regulators and outside experts to testify. The attention could spur changes to government safety and contracting rules that have been in place since the 1980s and favor big U.S. manufacturers that are capable of navigating the complex requirements.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255522967.png" alt="Formula that arrived in the U.S. from Europe Sunday- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Formula that arrived in the U.S. from Europe Sunday- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Baby formula is one of the few American products essentially unaffected by globalization, with 98% of the supply manufactured domestically. Four companies account for roughly 90% of the market: Abbott, Reckitt, Nestle and Perrigo, according to industry figures. That consolidation mirrors similar trends across the food industry.But infant formula wasn’t part of a Biden administration initiative last year spotlighting dangerously concentrated industries, including prescription drugs, airlines, hearing aids and internet services.Food experts say strict formula regulations set by the Food and Drug Administration have long limited competition.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653176350929.png" alt="The first pallets from Operation Fly Formula were loaded onto a military plane in Germany Saturday and arrived in the U.S. Sunday. -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The first pallets from Operation Fly Formula were loaded onto a military plane in Germany Saturday and arrived in the U.S. Sunday. -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Beginning in 1980, Congress gave the FDA authority to rigorously enforce the nutritional content of all formula sold in the U.S., imposing extra research and manufacturing standards that have few equivalents worldwide. The changes came after some babies were sickened by deficient formulas in the 1970s.“They are pretty much the strictest food safety guidelines in the U.S. and America has some of the strictest guidelines in the world,” said Wendy White, a food safety expert at Georgia Tech.Companies must consult with the FDA before selling a new formula, altering ingredients in an existing one or making major manufacturing changes. The result is only the biggest manufacturers have plants and procedures that comply with federal rules. And would-be competitors have little incentive to enter the field, given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-pandemics-a19eb76d3c0b6077a7c2d1ae92a4a67f">declining</a>&nbsp;U.S. birth rate.“You have to have a lot of expertise, a lot of resources and a lot of research dollars,” White said.There are other hurdles for foreign manufacturers looking to compete. The U.S. has long imposed tariffs and quotas on dairy imports from abroad, including Canada, in order to shield American milk producers from competition.Responding to political pressure, the Biden administration has begun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-indianapolis-00f39fd46778ecdd543c22f3630d79ba">airlifting shipments</a>&nbsp;of formula from Europe. The FDA is also waiving some requirements to encourage more imports from overseas manufacturers that are expected to boost supplies in coming weeks.The biggest driver of the U.S. market, by far, is a massive federal nutrition program that provides formula and other foods to lower-income women and children. The WIC program accounts for more than 50% of the U.S. market, providing formula for more than 1.2 million babies, according to the National WIC Association, which represents state and local administrators who run the benefit.Beginning in 1989, federal law has required states to award contracts to a single formula company, based on whichever one can offer the biggest discounts.The effect is that contract winners quickly squeeze out much of the competition on store shelves. Today, all 50 WIC contracts are held by three companies: Abbott, Reckitt and Nestle, according to the association. Abbott is the leader, with 34 state contracts.The competitive effects of these sole-source contracts have been researched for years. A 2011 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that whichever company wins a state’s WIC contract typically sees their market share grow by 74%, on average, as WIC recipients switch to their brand.But not everyone supports overhauling the system. Brian Dittmeier of the National WIC Association says doing away with sole-source contracts would jeopardize the savings that allow the plan to serve so many Americans. Instead he says manufacturers should be held accountable for not investing in their own capacity.“This is a manufacturing failure,” Dittmeier said. “The fact is there just is not enough product to fulfill the demand that manufacturers have drummed up over the years.” His group supports calls by some lawmakers for a federal antitrust investigation into the industry.WIC contracts are generally rebid every four years and market share swings back and forth between the handful of players who compete.Dr. Steven Abrams, a pediatrician at the University of Texas at Austin, says Congress should revisit the WIC program.“We need to take a comprehensive look at where the failures happened and where we can fix them” said Abrams. “We need to consider whether we really want to have a situation where there’s that much dominance in the program.”

US safety, savings rules set stage for baby formula shortage

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children at a Texas elementary school.

(Cick below to watch the President's comments.)

Biden spoke Tuesday night from the White House barely an hour after returning from a five-day trip to Asia that was bracketed by mass shootings in the U.S. He pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure — and bitterly blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington.

’“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden said with emotion. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?”

With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, the president, who has suffered the loss of two of his own children — though not to gun violence — spoke in visceral terms about the grief of the loved ones of the victims and the pain that will endure for the students who survived.

“To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away,” Biden said. “There’s a hollowness in your chest. You feel like you’re being sucked into it and never going to be able to get out.”

He called on the nation to hold the victims and families in prayer — but also to work harder to prevent the next tragedy, “It’s time we turned this pain into action,” he said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-b4e4648ed0ae454897d540e787d092b2">At least 19 students</a>&nbsp;were killed at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde, Texas, according to local officials. The death toll also included two adults. The gunman died after being shot by responding officers, local police said.

It was just a week earlier that Biden, on the eve of his overseas trip, traveled to Buffalo to meet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-biden-visit-9c72bd91df5760e375bb75f10dbd6f06">with victims’ families</a>&nbsp;after a racist, hate-filled shooter killed 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

The back-to-back tragedies served as sobering reminders of the frequency and brutality of an American epidemic of mass gun violence.

“These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world,” Biden said, reflecting that other nations have people filled with hate or with mental health issues but no other industrialized nation experiences gun violence at the level of the U.S.

It was much too early to tell if the latest violent outbreak could break the political logjam around tightening the nation’s gun laws, after so many others — including the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 26, including 20 children — have failed.

“The idea that an 18-year-old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong,” Biden said. He has previously called for a ban on assault-style weapons, as well as tougher federal background check requirements and “red flag” laws that are meant to keep guns out of the hands of those with mental health problems.

Late Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer set in motion possible action on two House-passed bills to expand federally required background checks for gun purchases, but no votes have been scheduled.

Biden was somber when he returned to the White House, having been briefed on the shooting on Air Force One. Shortly before landing in Washington, he spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and offered “any and all assistance” needed, the White House said. He directed that American flags be flown at half-staff through sunset Saturday in honor of the victims in Texas.

His aides, some of whom had just returned from Asia with the president, gathered to watch Biden’s speech on televisions in the West Wing.

“I’d hoped when I became president I would not have to do this, again,” he said. “Another massacre.”

In a stark reminder of the issue’s divisiveness, Biden’s call for gun measures was booed at a campaign event in Georgia hosted by Herschel Walker, who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Speaking at an Asian Pacific American event that was intended to celebrate Biden’s Asia trip, Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier that people normally declare in moments like this, “our hearts break — but our hearts keep getting broken ... and our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families.”

“We have to have the courage to take action ... to ensure something like this never happens again,” she said.

Echoing Biden’s call, former President Barack Obama, who has called the day of the Sandy Hook shooting the darkest of his administration, said, “It’s long past time for action, any kind of action.”

“Michelle and I grieve with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear,” he said in a statement. “We’re also angry for them. Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook—and ten days after Buffalo—our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies.”

Congress has been unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation ever since the bipartisan effort to strengthen background checks on firearm purchases collapsed in the aftermath of the 2012 shooting.

Despite months of work, a bill that was backed by a majority of senators, fell to a filibuster — unable to to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.

In impassioned remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.,</a>&nbsp;who represented Newton, Connecticut, in the House at the time of the Sandy Hook massacre, asked his colleagues why they even bother running for office if they’re going to stand by and do nothing.

“I’m here on this floor to beg — to literally get down on my hands and knees — to beg my colleagues,” he said.

Murphy said he was planning to reach out to Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn after the two had teamed on an earlier background check bill that never became law. He said he would also reach out to Texas’ other Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

“I just don’t understand why people here think we’re powerless,” Murphy said. “We aren’t.”

Cornyn told reporters he was on his way to Texas and would talk with them later. Cruz issued a statement calling it “a dark day. We’re all completely sickened and heartbroken.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who sponsored gun legislation that failed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate after Sandy Hook, said, “We’re just pushing on people who just won’t budge on anything.”

“It makes no sense at all why we can’t do commonsense things and try to prevent some of this from happening,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653439722744.png" alt="With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, Biden added, “I am sick and tired. We have to act.”" />
 <figcaption>With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, Biden added, “I am sick and tired. We have to act.”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children at a Texas elementary school.(Cick below to watch the President's comments.)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F544748734033365%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=37" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden spoke Tuesday night from the White House barely an hour after returning from a five-day trip to Asia that was bracketed by mass shootings in the U.S. He pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure — and bitterly blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington.’“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden said with emotion. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?”With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, the president, who has suffered the loss of two of his own children — though not to gun violence — spoke in visceral terms about the grief of the loved ones of the victims and the pain that will endure for the students who survived.“To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away,” Biden said. “There’s a hollowness in your chest. You feel like you’re being sucked into it and never going to be able to get out.”He called on the nation to hold the victims and families in prayer — but also to work harder to prevent the next tragedy, “It’s time we turned this pain into action,” he said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-b4e4648ed0ae454897d540e787d092b2">At least 19 students</a>&nbsp;were killed at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde, Texas, according to local officials. The death toll also included two adults. The gunman died after being shot by responding officers, local police said.It was just a week earlier that Biden, on the eve of his overseas trip, traveled to Buffalo to meet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-biden-visit-9c72bd91df5760e375bb75f10dbd6f06">with victims’ families</a>&nbsp;after a racist, hate-filled shooter killed 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.The back-to-back tragedies served as sobering reminders of the frequency and brutality of an American epidemic of mass gun violence.“These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world,” Biden said, reflecting that other nations have people filled with hate or with mental health issues but no other industrialized nation experiences gun violence at the level of the U.S.“Why?” he asked.It was much too early to tell if the latest violent outbreak could break the political logjam around tightening the nation’s gun laws, after so many others — including the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 26, including 20 children — have failed.“The idea that an 18-year-old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong,” Biden said. He has previously called for a ban on assault-style weapons, as well as tougher federal background check requirements and “red flag” laws that are meant to keep guns out of the hands of those with mental health problems.Late Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer set in motion possible action on two House-passed bills to expand federally required background checks for gun purchases, but no votes have been scheduled.Biden was somber when he returned to the White House, having been briefed on the shooting on Air Force One. Shortly before landing in Washington, he spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and offered “any and all assistance” needed, the White House said. He directed that American flags be flown at half-staff through sunset Saturday in honor of the victims in Texas.His aides, some of whom had just returned from Asia with the president, gathered to watch Biden’s speech on televisions in the West Wing.“I’d hoped when I became president I would not have to do this, again,” he said. “Another massacre.”In a stark reminder of the issue’s divisiveness, Biden’s call for gun measures was booed at a campaign event in Georgia hosted by Herschel Walker, who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.Speaking at an Asian Pacific American event that was intended to celebrate Biden’s Asia trip, Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier that people normally declare in moments like this, “our hearts break — but our hearts keep getting broken ... and our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families.”“We have to have the courage to take action ... to ensure something like this never happens again,” she said.Echoing Biden’s call, former President Barack Obama, who has called the day of the Sandy Hook shooting the darkest of his administration, said, “It’s long past time for action, any kind of action.”“Michelle and I grieve with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear,” he said in a statement. “We’re also angry for them. Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook—and ten days after Buffalo—our country is paralyzed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that have shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies.”Congress has been unable to pass substantial gun violence legislation ever since the bipartisan effort to strengthen background checks on firearm purchases collapsed in the aftermath of the 2012 shooting.Despite months of work, a bill that was backed by a majority of senators, fell to a filibuster — unable to to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.In impassioned remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.,</a>&nbsp;who represented Newton, Connecticut, in the House at the time of the Sandy Hook massacre, asked his colleagues why they even bother running for office if they’re going to stand by and do nothing.“I’m here on this floor to beg — to literally get down on my hands and knees — to beg my colleagues,” he said.Murphy said he was planning to reach out to Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn after the two had teamed on an earlier background check bill that never became law. He said he would also reach out to Texas’ other Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.“I just don’t understand why people here think we’re powerless,” Murphy said. “We aren’t.”Cornyn told reporters he was on his way to Texas and would talk with them later. Cruz issued a statement calling it “a dark day. We’re all completely sickened and heartbroken.”Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who sponsored gun legislation that failed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate after Sandy Hook, said, “We’re just pushing on people who just won’t budge on anything.”“It makes no sense at all why we can’t do commonsense things and try to prevent some of this from happening,” he said.——

🎥 Biden says 'we have to act' after Texas school shooting

MEADE COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after midnight Tuesday in Meade County.

&nbsp;The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy SUV driven by 21-year-old Peter Krahn, of Cimmaron was southbound on 4 Road at U.S. 160.

The driver failed to yield the right of way to a westbound 2022 Peterbilt semi driven by Bevan L. Becker, 28, Montezuma.&nbsp;

The Chevy struck the semi on the number 4 axel of the trailer.

Krahn was pronounced dead at the scene. Becker was not injured. Krahn was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

MEADE COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after midnight Tuesday in Meade County.&nbsp;The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy SUV driven by 21-year-old Peter Krahn, of Cimmaron was southbound on 4 Road at U.S. 160.The driver failed to yield the right of way to a westbound 2022 Peterbilt semi driven by Bevan L. Becker, 28, Montezuma.&nbsp;The Chevy struck the semi on the number 4 axel of the trailer.Krahn was pronounced dead at the scene. Becker was not injured. Krahn was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after crash with a semi

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults as he went from classroom to classroom at a Texas elementary school, officials said, adding to a gruesome, yearslong&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">series of mass killings</a>&nbsp;at churches, schools and stores.

The attacker was killed by a Border Patrol agent who rushed into the school without waiting for backup, according to a law enforcement official.

Tuesday’s assault at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senator-chris-murphy-pleads-for-action-on-gun-violence-641fb7c7244ff497c7f9c4c1bc96366c">Sandy Hook Elementary</a>&nbsp;in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.

Hours after the attack, families were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shootings-victims-a197fa6758a87d4b496dfca4d707ba47">still awaiting word on their children</a>. At the town civic center where some gathered, the silence was broken repeatedly by screams and wailing. “No! Please, no!” one man yelled as he embraced another man.

The attack was the latest grim moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres, coming just 10 days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket</a>. And the prospects for any reform of the nation’s gun regulations seemed as dim, if not dimmer, than in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook deaths.

It was not immediately clear how many people in all were wounded, but Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo said there were “several injuries.”

The attack began about 11:30 a.m., when the gunman crashed his car outside the school and ran into the building, according to Travis Considine, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. A resident who heard the crash called 911, and two local police officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter.

Both officers were shot. It was not immediately clear where on the campus that confrontation occurred or how much time elapsed before more authorities arrived on the scene.

One Border Patrol agent who was working nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.

Meanwhile, teams of Border Patrol agents raced to the school, including 10 to 15 members of a SWAT-like tactical and counterterrorism unit, said Jason Owens, a top regional official with the Border Patrol.

He said some area agents have children at Robb Elementary.

The tragedy in Uvalde was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, and it added to a grim tally in the state, which has been the site of some of the deadliest shootings in the U.S. over the past five years.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 18 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials said, in the latest gruesome moment for a country scarred by a string of massacres. The attacker was killed by law enforcement.

The death toll also included three adults, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police. But it was not immediately clear whether that number included the attacker, or how many people were wounded.

The massacre at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting">at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut</a>, almost a decade ago.

“My heart is broken today,” said Hal Harrell, the school district superintendent, announcing that all school activities were canceled until further notice. “We’re a small community, and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this.”

The attack also came just 10 days after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket</a>&nbsp;that added to a yearslong series of mass killings at churches, schools and stores. And the prospects for any reform of the nation’s gun regulations seemed as dim as in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook deaths.

President Joe Biden appeared ready for a fight, calling for new gun restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-to-address-nation-over-uvalde-school-shooting-c2c414829a7397cb6e3de82636de2ba9">in an address to the nation</a>&nbsp;hours after the attack.

“As a nation we have to ask, when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name are we going to do what has to be done?” Biden asked. “Why are are willing to live with this carnage?”

Many of the injured were rushed to Uvalde Memorial Hospital, where staff members in scrubs and devastated victims’ relatives could be seen weeping as they walked out of the complex.

The gunman, who was wearing body armor, crashed his car outside the school before going inside, Sgt. Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN.

He killed his grandmother before heading to the school with two military-style rifles he had purchased on his birthday, Gutierrez said.

“That was the first thing he did on his 18th birthday,” he said.

Officials did not immediately reveal a motive, but the governor identified the assailant as Salvador Ramos and said he was a resident of the community about 85 miles&nbsp; west of San Antonio.

Ramos had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, Gutierrez said, noting that “he suggested the kids should watch out.”

A Border Patrol agent who was working nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.

The agent was wounded but able to walk out of the school, the law enforcement source said.

The school district’s police chief, Pete Arredondo, said that the attacker acted alone.

It was not immediately clear how many people were wounded, but Arredondo said there were “several injuries.” Earlier, Uvalde Memorial Hospital said 13 children were taken there. Another hospital reported a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.

Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students, and Arredondo said it serves students in the second, third and fourth grade. He did not provide ages of the children who were shot. This was the school’s last week of classes before summer break.

Heavily armed law enforcement officers swarmed to the school, with officers in tactical vests diverting traffic and FBI agents coming and going from the building.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was briefed on the shooting on Air Force One as he returned from a five-day trip to Asia.

Uvalde, home to about 16,000 people, is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the border with Mexico. Robb Elementary is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.

In 2018, a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area. A year before that, a gunman at a Texas church killed more than two dozen people during a Sunday service in the small town of Sutherland Springs. In 2019, another gunman at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people in a racist attack.

A year after Sandy Hook, Sens. Joe Manchin a West Virginia Democrat, and Patrick J. Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, negotiated a bipartisan proposal to expand the nation’s background check system. But as the measure was close to being brought to the Senate floor for a vote, it became clear it would not get enough votes to clear a 60-vote filibuster hurdle.

Then-President Barack Obama, who had made gun control central to his administration’s goals after the Newtown shooting, called Congress’ failure to act “a pretty shameful day for Washington.”

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing 14 children, one teacher and injuring others, Gov. Greg Abbott said, and the gunman was dead.

It was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since the shocking attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago.

The gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and possibly a rifle, Abbott said. Officials have not revealed a motive for the shooting, but Abbott identified him as Salvador Ramos and said he was a resident of the community that’s about 85 miles (135 kilometers) west of San Antonio.

Abbott said the shooter was likely killed by responding officers but that the events were still being investigated. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo said at a news conference that the gunman acted alone.

It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. It occurred four years after a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area and less than two weeks after a gunman opened fire at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">a supermarket in Buffalo, New York,</a>&nbsp;killing 10 Black shoppers and workers in what officials have described as a hate crime.

”He shot and killed, horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher,” said the governor, adding that two officers were shot and wounded but were expected to survive.

It was not immediately clear how many people, in addition to the dead, were wounded, but Arredondo said there were “several injuries.” Earlier, Uvalde Memorial Hospital said 13 children were taken there. Another hospital reported a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.

Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students, and Arredondo said it serves students in the second, third and fourth grade. He did not provide ages of the children who were shot.

A heavy police presence surrounded the school Tuesday afternoon, with officers in heavy vests diverting traffic and FBI agents coming and going from the building.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the school shooting on Air Force One as he returns from a five-day trip to Asia and would continue to receive updates. Jean-Pierre said Biden will deliver remarks Tuesday evening at the White House.

Uvalde is home to about 16,000 people and is the seat of government for Uvalde County. The town is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) from the border with Mexico. Robb Elementary is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes.

A Border Patrol agent who was among the first law enforcement officers on scene was shot and wounded by the gunman, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The agent is hospitalized in good condition, the official said.

The tragedy in Uvalde added to a grim tally of mass shootings in Texas that have been among the deadliest in the U.S. over the past five years. One year before the Santa Fe school shooting in 2018, a gunman at Texas church killed more than two dozen people during a Sunday service in the small town of Sutherland Springs. In 2019, another gunman at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people in a racist attack.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says 15 people were killed in a shooting Tuesday at an elementary school. Abbott says the suspected shooter, an 18-year-old man, also died and was believed to be killed by responding officers. 

He says 14 children and one teacher were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, about 85 miles west of San Antonio. Abbott says the shooter had a handgun and possibly a rifle. . It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and occurred four years after a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Multiple fatalities were reported after a shooting at a Texas elementary school on Tuesday.&nbsp;Texas governor Greg Abbott says 14 students, 1 teacher were killed at Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.

He also said the school shooter is dead, believed to have been killed by responding officers.

Thirteen children were taken by ambulance or bus to Uvalde Memorial Hospital after the active shooter was reported at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, about 85 miles west of San Antonio, officials with the hospital said.&nbsp;

Authorities did not immediately provide any details on the shooting, though the Uvalde Police Department reported shooter was in custody shortly after 1 p.m.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District had said an active shooter was reported at the school, which has an enrollment of just under 600 students. Earlier, the district had said that all schools in the district were locked down because of gunshots in the area.

A heavy police presence surrounded the school Tuesday afternoon, with officers in heavy vests diverting traffic and FBI agents coming and going from the building. School and city officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The district said that the city’s civic center was being used as a reunification center.

The shooting in Texas came less than two weeks after a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 Black shoppers and workers in what officials have described as a hate crime. Uvalde is home to about 16,000 people and is the seat of government for Uvalde County. The town is about 75 miles from the border with Mexico. Robb Elementary is in a mostly residential neighborhood of modest homes. There is a funeral home across the street from the school.