Texas School Shooting 'A Tragedy That Shocks No One’: MN Rep. McCollum

MINNESOTA — U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum called for a ban on “all weapons of mass murder” after an 18-year-old gunman killed more than 20 people Tuesday at a Texas elementary school.

The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two adults Tuesday inside a single fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, about 85 miles west of San Antonio, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson told NBC's "The Today Show" on Wednesday.

Police eventually broke into the classroom the gunman barricaded himself in and killed him, Lt. Chris Olivarez said, noting the gunman used an AR-style rifle.

“The mass murder of school children and a teacher in Texas just days after the Buffalo massacre is a tragedy that unfortunately shocks no one,” McCollum said in a statement Tuesday. “We must not be naïve: Until these weapons of mass murder are banned by Congress, this daily rampage of killing, misery, and fear will continue to be a self-inflicted wound on America.”

READ MORE: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims

McCollum criticized Republicans in Washington, D.C., who “continue to make it easier to carry weapons and access the weapons used to murder children, shoppers, and people at places of worship” despite “all of the gun violence and acts of hate” in recent years.

“The American people need to decide: Will we act to protect innocent lives? Or will we do nothing and continue to sacrifice the lives of our loved ones and neighbors in the name of protecting gun rights?” McCollum said.

McCollum represents Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes St. Paul, Woodbury, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Roseville, Maplewood and Oakdale, among other municipalities.

Speaking to WCCO’s Vineeta Sawkar on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips — who serves Minnesota’s Third Congressional District — condemned the frequency of mass shootings in America, calling it an “epidemic of violence.”

He criticized some Republicans for "standing in the way of a policy that just about every American supports" by not approving the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House passed the bill by a 227-203 vote in March 2021.

The Republican-controlled Senate has not yet taken a vote on the bill, which would establish new background check requirements for all firearms sales and transfers in the U.S.

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act would also make it illegal for private parties to transfer firearms without a background check by a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer or importer.