New York, 26 May 2022 (TDI): UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell expressed her views after an eighteen-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, opened fire and killed two teachers and nineteen students on Tuesday.
The shooting took place at Robb Elementary School in the small city of Uvalde, Texas, located near the border with Mexico.
She highlighted the horrific attacks on schools in Afghanistan, Ukraine, the US, and West Africa and questioned the curative actions and measures by governments for the safety and security of children.
“Tragedy after tragedy, shooting after shooting, young life after young life: how many more children will die before government leaders act to keep children and their schools safe? Because until they do, these horrors will continue,” she said in a statement.
She emphasized the importance of the safety and security of schools for children outside their homes. She noted the emotional and psychological scars on the teachers, staff, and children who witnessed these incidents for the rest of their lives.
The UNICEF Director emphasized the urgent need for more significant action by governments to ensure schools remain a safe place for children.
Response by the United Nations Representatives
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his grief and shock at the ‘heinous mass shooting.’ He said that he was particularly heart-wrenched as most victims were children. He extended his condolence to the families of the victims.
Also, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that children should be only concerned about learning when they go to school.
She expressed her views on Twitter and said that “Children should not go to school fearing for their lives!” She added that her heartfelt prayers are with the families, classmates, and teachers on their devastating loss.
School Shootings
Until now, 27 school shootings have taken place in a year. Despite numerous incidents of attacks on schools this year, the response and remedial actions to address these attacks by National and international stakeholders are ailing. The USA alone witnessed 693 mass shootings last year.
