President Trump, Pelosi react quickly to El Paso shooting
WASHINGTON — Reaction to the country’s most recent mass shooting, at a mall in El Paso, Texas, was swift Saturday as law enforcement continued their investigation into the attack.
President Donald Trump spoke immediately after the shooting to Attorney General William Barr and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Trump said on social media that he was working with state and local law enforcement.
“God be with you all!’’ he tweeted.
'God be with you all': Trump pledges full support for El Paso shooting victims as lawmakers also grieve https://t.co/gISsidBeWr via @usatoday
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2019
“The President continues to receive updates from his national security team on the tragic shootings in El Paso,” Steven Groves, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement. “Federal Government personnel, including the FBI and ATF, are on the ground in El Paso actively assisting local authorities, who are leading the response to the shootings. The President has pledged the full support of the Federal Government to Governor Abbott.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the shooting “breaks the heart of all Americans.”
“Too many families in too many communities have been forced to endure the daily horror of gun violence,” Pelosi said. “Enough is enough.”
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said, “My heart goes out to the victims of this senseless attack and their loved ones. We cannot sit by as more Americans’ lives are put at risk due to gun violence — we need to act in Congress to stop it.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said, “We can do more. We must do more.”
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said, “My heart is with El Paso in the wake of this senseless tragedy. Las Vegas stands strong with you.”
Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was shot in the head in in 2011 at a Tucson strip mall while meeting with constituents, said families should not be afraid to “run errands on a Saturday afternoon.”
“We should not be afraid to attend festivals or block parties or concerts,” said Giffords, now a gun control advocate who founded a nonprofit to lobby for weapon regulations.
Saturday’s shooting comes days after a gunman killed three people and wounded 12 others at a festival in California. It also comes less than two years after a gunman killed 58 people at injured hundreds more at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas.
Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.