Arizona Leaders, Politicians React To Texas Elementary School Shooting

ARIZONA — Another school shooting has devastated the nation, this time with the deaths of at least 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.

But the contrasting reactions of Democratic and Republican leaders in Arizona and across the country demonstrated the deep divide between the two parties.

U.S. Rep. from Arizona Ruben Gallego lambasted Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, and the National Rifle Association, directing expletives at them in several tweets on Tuesday. He also criticized others who expressed thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, but who didn't offer up any solutions to the country's chronic gun violence problem.

Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona Republican Party, was quick to respond to Gallego's tweets, saying that he had "No class and no brain."

Shortly after the news of the shooting in Texas broke on Tuesday, Ward tweeted, "Laws mean nothing to criminals nor to the insane. Leftist policies have broken our schools and our children."

In a reply to U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), who expressed his thought and prayers to the victims of the shooting and their loved ones, Gallego wrote: "F--- your prayers. They haven’t worked for the last 20 mass shootings how about passing laws that will stop these killings."

Gallego also took some jabs at a fellow Democrat.

"We are horrified and heartbroken by the senseless tragedy unfolding at Robb Elementary School in Texas and grateful to the first responders for acting swiftly," U.S. Sen. from Arizona Kyrsten Sinema tweeted on Tuesday. "No families should ever have to fear violence in their children's schools."

Gallego responded that unless Sinema was willing to help break the filibuster to pass gun control measures, she "might as well just say 'thoughts and prayers.'"

Sinema, earlier this year, voted against changing the filibuster rule, which makes it more difficult for the party in power to pass legislation by simple majority.

While reactions to the shooting from Arizona Democrats seemed to mostly focus on demands for gun control, Republicans either stayed silent on social media, offered prayers or focused on mental health issues.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in Texas," the Republican Party of Arizona tweeted. "We must find a way to join together in America and overcome these senseless tragedies. Our humanity depends on it. We haven't even scratched the surface of mental health in America."

U.S. Rep. from Arizona Debbie Lesko, a Republican, tweeted Tuesday: "Tragic events in Uvalde, Texas today. Please join me in praying for the victims, the injured, and their families."

Former U.S. congresswoman from Arizona Gabby Giffords and her husband, Arizona U.S. Sen. Arizona Mark Kelly, both Democrats, urged their followers to support gun control measures.

"It infuriates me that Americans have come to expect that their federal government will once again react to the murder of schoolchildren by doing nothing," Kelly tweeted.

The couple has advocated for gun control since Giffords was shot in the head during a constituent event in Tucson on Jan. 8, 2011. Six people were killed in that shooting and 13 more were injured.

Giffords founded her namesake gun control organization in 2013 in reaction to the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at Sandy Hook Elementary, which took place the prior December. Tuesday's shooting was the second-deadliest.

Giffords called for her supporters to take action immediately.

"Like many of you, I am angry," Giffords tweeted. "And I am heartbroken right now. But I am also determined. The movement to #EndGunViolence is stronger and bigger than ever. Don't do nothing. Get involved. Talk to neighbors. Change starts with us."

Giffords called gun violence "a uniquely American problem" and noted that it is now the leading cause of death for American children.

Gun violence overtook car crashes as the leading cause of death for children in 2020, according to U.S. Census data.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, said on Tuesday that flags at all Arizona state buildings would be lowered to half staff until sunset on Saturday, to honor those killed in the Texas shooting.