18 children and 3 adults are dead tonight following a shooting at a Texas elementary school.
New Jersey already claims among the nation’s strictest gun control laws. Governor Murphy – who recently mocked “thoughts and prayers” after a shooting in New York – will reportedly hold a press conference on Wednesday to demand more.
“I introduced a comprehensive gun safety 3.0 package over a year ago and this moment demands that our Legislature finally take action,” Murphy tweeted hours after the news of the shooting broke. “This legislation will not only make it harder for guns to fall into the wrong hands, but will also give law enforcement greater tools to protect communities – including our children – from gun violence. Let us not delay even one day more.”
As a father, my heart is broken for the families who are reeling from this senseless, horrific tragedy. There is no greater responsibility than protecting our children – and our nation is failing this most basic test.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 24, 2022
And the U.S. Senate needs to confirm Steve Dettelbach without delay as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to ensure that the federal agency tasked with enforcing our nation’s gun laws has the strong leadership it needs to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 24, 2022
This legislation will not only make it harder for guns to fall into the wrong hands, but will also give law enforcement greater tools to protect communities – including our children – from gun violence.
Let us not delay even one day more.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 24, 2022
Murphy’s NJEA allies (who bankrolled his 2021 reelection campaign) echoed the Governor’s familiar talking points.
“To those who say it is ‘too soon’ to call for action, we say only that it is too late for the victims in Uvalde, but not too late to protect other children across America from similar tragedies in the future,” said the NJEA leadership in a joint statement. “Our children—and all Americans—deserve to be safe in school, at home and wherever else they go. Our nation owes it to them to ensure their safety.”
Of course, there’s still a lot we don’t know as details are still emerging as to exactly how the shooting transpired.
The shooter was reportedly killed by a Border Patrol agent who was also injured in the exchange.
