The sports world reacted swiftly Tuesday to the news of an 18-year-old gunman opening fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and killing at least 19 children.
In Dallas, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd did not want to talk about basketball. LeBron James made no effort to hide his anger. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, a young father, called the news “devastating."
It was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago.
Steve Kerr on today's tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas. pic.twitter.com/lsJ8RzPcmC
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 24, 2022
Breaks my heart hearing this news, no parent should ever have to lose there child. Praying for the families of those kids and the teacher 🙏🏽❤️… this is devastating
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) May 24, 2022
My thoughts and prayers goes out to the families of love ones loss & injured at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX! Like when is enough enough man!!! These are kids and we keep putting them in harms way at school. Like seriously "AT SCHOOL" where it's suppose to be the safest!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 24, 2022
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 24, 2022
We are heartbroken by this afternoon’s tragic events in Uvalde as we mourn alongside our neighbors in Texas. To the victims, their families and the entire Uvalde community, you are held close to our hearts today and in the weeks to come.
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 24, 2022
When is enough going to be enough? Senseless killings , kids dying at the hands of a gun. Seeing so many kids get their hands on guns is painful! Schools aren’t safe. Grocery stores aren’t safe. Kids killing kids. Protecting gun laws can’t be more important than saving lives.
— Rich Paul (@RichPaul4) May 25, 2022
When will we care about the protection of our children above everything else? Children shouldn’t be gunned down in school. It’s absolutely unacceptable that this is continuing to happen. These children represent our country’s future, our hopes, our dreams.
— Zack Britton (@zbritton) May 24, 2022
💔❤️🩹Uvalde, Texas. The unthinkable and unimaginable. As I look at my daughter my heart is hurting for all the lives lost and their loved ones. A parents worst nightmare. Enough is enough. No more gun violence, no more terrorism. This is sickening.
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) May 25, 2022
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.