welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: another may shooting in the united states. at least 18 children and 3 adults have been killed in a primary school in texas. the attack happened in the city of uvalde, west of san antonio. police have named the government as 18—year—old salvador ramos. president biden has called for flags to be flown at half mast. he is due to address the nation shortly. the vice president kamala harris has already spoken. enough is enough. enough is enough.

enough is enough. enough is enou:h. ,, . enough is enough. enough is enouuh. ,, . ,. . enough. staff at the school are said to be _ enough. staff at the school are said to be in _ enough. staff at the school are said to be in shock. _ enough. staff at the school are said to be in shock. we - enough. staff at the school are said to be in shock. we will. said to be in shock. we will have the latest for you under this programme. my have the latest for you under this programme.— have the latest for you under this programme. my heart was broken today. _ this programme. my heart was broken today. we _ this programme. my heart was broken today. we are - this programme. my heart was broken today. we are a - this programme. my heart was broken today. we are a small. broken today. we are a small community and we will need your prayers to get us through this. thank you. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news — it's newsday. hello and welcome to the programme. i want to bring you the latest breaking news, government has shut that at least 18 students and three adults at a primary school in the us state of texas. the students in a second, third and fourth grade, meaning they were between the ages of seven and ten. governor greg abbott said the attacker is 18—year—old

salvador ramos who is believed to have been killed by law enforcement officers. the shooting was at uvalde, west of san antonio at the robb elementary school. it is not the government had a handgun and possibly arrival. the white house says president biden will continue to be breathed regularly as information becomes available and is expected to make a statement. —— briefed. david, we have now got these latest figures coming in from this offal tragedy. 18 dead at this point in time. 18 dead at this point in time. 13 children and three adults we are hearing were killed in this incident, just after 11:30am local time in uvalde, a community of about 16,000

people, not farfrom community of about 16,000 people, not far from the mexican border. robb elementary school is 90% hispanic children and these are age between the ages of seven and ten. this was the last week of term for children. they were due to graduate on friday, some of them, and classes have now been cancelled in light of this shooting. cbs news, our partner in the united states, is reporting based on law enforcement sources, the 18—year—old government has been named as salvador ramos and was armed with a handgun and an ar-15 armed with a handgun and an ar—15 assault rifle, with high—capacity magazine. there are unconfirmed reports that he bought the weapons legally at a gunstock in uvalde, just after

his 18th birthday. £311 gunstock in uvalde, 'ust after his 18th birthday._ his 18th birthday. on those reports. — his 18th birthday. on those reports. i _ his 18th birthday. on those reports, i was _ his 18th birthday. on those reports, i was speaking - his 18th birthday. on those. reports, i was speaking with a journalist at the san antonio express, taylor pettaway and she was talking through the gun laws in the state of texas. information coming in from law enforcement sources saying the team had those weapons with him. how does that happened in texas? . , , him. how does that happened in texas? ., , , ., , texas? texas believed the laws enshfined texas? texas believed the laws enshrined in _ texas? texas believed the laws enshrined in the _ texas? texas believed the laws enshrined in the us _ enshrined in the us constitution should not be tampered with and, indeed, there is considerable support for gun ownership and a lot of gun ownership in texas but not only in texas because the last two decades have shown a huge spike in the number of gun

purchases in this country and that number has accelerated over the course of the last three years in particular. around 400 million firearms in this country which is more handguns, more rifles than people. the very influential pressure group, the national rifle association, is due to hold it annual meeting this coming saturday and sunday. ironically, in texas, where former president donald trump is among to be among the guest speakers. 1 is among to be among the guest seakers. ., ., ., ,~' is among to be among the guest seakers. ., ., ., i. ., speakers. i want to ask you one more question _ speakers. i want to ask you one more question before _ speakers. i want to ask you one more question before we - speakers. i want to ask you one more question before we do - speakers. i want to ask you one | more question before we do get our audience to listening to some local officials and what they have been saying. chris murphy — you told us a bit

earlier — senator chris murphy, from sandy hooks, made an impassioned appeal.- impassioned appeal. chris murphy. _ impassioned appeal. chris murphy. his _ impassioned appeal. chris murphy, his district - impassioned appeal. chris| murphy, his district include the sandy hook where the massacre occurred 20 years ago with 20 children dying and he made a passionate plea for tighter gun control laws. is that our heart is breaking for these families and appeal to republican colleagues to "find a way to make this sort of thing less likely". it is very much a divisive issue and there have been republicans, including those from texas, who haveissued including those from texas, who have issued statements to this massacre who have not even mentioned the possibility of tightening the gun—control laws in this country so very often we have seen this pattern, if you like, a lot of hand

wringing, a lot of call for action after a massacre of this kind, sort of bipartisan legislation which was put forward after the sandy hook massacre but which failed to get the 60 votes needed in order to pass into law and after that, order to pass into law and afterthat, barack order to pass into law and after that, barack 0bama, the then president, said it was a very sad day in washington dc. andy a very dark day in washington, dc at that time and across the united states today. i want to leave the politics aside for a moment and we will come back to david but i wanted tell you now about what local officials have been saying about this tragedy. we heard from them just a few minutes ago when they gave this update on the investigation. let ago when they gave this update on the investigation.— on the investigation. let me assure you. _ on the investigation. let me assure you, the _ on the investigation. let me assure you, the intruder - on the investigation. let me assure you, the intruder is l assure you, the intruder is deceived and we are not actively looking for another individual or any other suspect individual or any other suspect in this case. we ask you want to keep the families involved

in your prayers. thank you so much. ., , ., ., much. here to provide a statement _ much. here to provide a statement and - much. here to provide a statement and not - much. here to provide a statement and not take | much. here to provide a i statement and not take any action— statement and not take any action is— statement and not take any action is our superintendent, doctor— action is our superintendent, doctor harold.— action is our superintendent, doctor harold. good evening. this was a — doctor harold. good evening. this was a tragic _ doctor harold. good evening. this was a tragic and - doctor harold. good evening. | this was a tragic and censored event today and my heart was broke today, our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with all the families as we go through this day and days to come. a few announcements we need to make, beginning tomorrow at 10am we will have grief counselling and support at the civic centre for our students, ourstar, immunity students, our star, immunity members, students, ourstar, immunity members, anyone who needs to come at that time. —— community members. we may be there several days. our staff will meet at 8am at the civic centre as well and begin visiting with them and seeing what those needs. school will be close.

the school year is done. no school tomorrow or thursday. all activities are cancelled throughout the district and the graduation is on people's mines. staff members will report to campus is other than the robb elementary campus. again, my heart was broken today. we are a small community and we will need your prayers to get us through this. thank you. to get us through this. thank ou. ,, , to get us through this. thank ou. . , ., to get us through this. thank ou. ,, , ., ., ., you. superintendent of the area talkin: you. superintendent of the area talking about — you. superintendent of the area talking about the _ you. superintendent of the area talking about the following - talking about the following steps in the coming days when it comes to school closures and the fact there will be no activities held across the district as this community comes to terms — if they indeed can — with this devastating tragedy was that we can speak again to our correspondent david willis who is in los angeles. listening to what

those officials had to say, both the police chief and the superintendent, trying to get to grips with the investigation, prioritising families as they so definitely should at this time, but at the same time trying to understand how this offal tragedy is going to be felt in the community where they are. 1t to be felt in the community where they are.— to be felt in the community where they are. it is a small community. _ where they are. it is a small community, about - where they are. it is a small community, about 16,000 l where they are. it is a small - community, about 16,000 people. 18 miles west of san antonio, the nearest big texan town. i want to take you back to remarks — we were talking about senator chris murphy, whose district includes newport connecticut the scene of sandy hook massacre, the deadliest shooting of its kind in this country, ten years ago. and he said he would go down on bended knees, as he put it, in an attempt to get his republican opponent to back some sort of

tightening gun—control legislation. a short while ago, he was speaking on one of the cable news and conceded any such change in gun laws would have to be incremental, given the significant political opposition to eat and he suggested that may include raising the age limit. 0pposition raising the age limit. opposition to it. people can buy weapons here. this was an 18—year—old gunmen, and the second shooting in ten days involving an 18—year—old. the buffalo shooting in which a white supremacy that went after like people in a grocery store, the saturday before last, was also a terrible incident which led to the deaths of ten people and injuries to free people. an acknowledgement, i think, and injuries to free people. an acknowledgement, ithink, that nothing is going to seismically

change your overnight and if there are to be changes, they will probably be very incremental.- will probably be very incremental. �* , , incremental. and 'ust listening to that, it h incremental. and 'ust listening to that, it seems _ incremental. and just listening to that, it seems such - incremental. and just listening to that, it seems such a - to that, it seems such a depressing state of affairs, there is no other way to put it. we heard from others in this political debate on one side of the vertical debate. hillary clinton has tweeter, the former presidential candidate, of course, that we are becoming a nation of anguished screams and called for gun—control, legislators willing to stop the scourge of gun violence in america that is motoring our children. we also heard from the first lady, jill biden, who has also been tweeting and she has had a very, very short succinct statement, lord, enough, we stand angry and heartbroken. we

hear these sorts of things when tragedies happen but in your experience covering the us over the last several years, as i understand it, what if anything comes out of it?— comes out of it? very often, very little. — comes out of it? very often, very little, unfortunately, i very little, unfortunately, and, indeed, it will be interesting to see what president biden has to say when he addresses the nation from the roosevelt room of the white house and a few minute's time. we are expecting him to speak between 7—10 minutes, flanked by the vice president kamala harris, who spoke earlier of the heart break but is that our hearts keep gating hard. we heard from the speaker of the us house of representatives nancy pelosi who called this monstrous shooting and that hearts are broken across the nation and america's afield

with righteous fury in the week of multiple incomprehensible mass shootings in the span of just days. strong words and they will be echoed, i am sure, president biden when he speaks in a short while from now. we will have to see if any change will have to see if any change will occur. i am will have to see if any change will occur. iam not will have to see if any change will occur. i am not entirely hopeful it will.— will occur. i am not entirely hopeful it will. david willis, thank you — hopeful it will. david willis, thank you so _ hopeful it will. david willis, thank you so much - hopeful it will. david willis, thank you so much for- hopeful it will. david willis, i thank you so much forjoining us with your thoughts and analysis. we will be speaking to david again during the course of the programme. as he was saying, we did hearfrom vice president kamala harris earlier and she urge lawmakers, and impassioned plea to them, to come together and find a pass to meaningful gun—control measures. we don't know all the details yet. we do know that there are parents who have lost children. families who have lost children

and their loved ones, of course, and many others who may have been injured. so i would normally say in a moment like this, we would all say naturally that our hearts break, but our hearts keep getting broken. you know, there are so many elected leaders in this room, you know what i'm talking about? every time a tragedy like this happens, our hearts break, and our broken hearts break, and our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families and yet it keeps happening. so, ithink families and yet it keeps happening. so, i think we all know and have said many times with each other, enough is enough. enough is enough. as a nation, we have two have the courage to take action, and

understand the nexus between what makes for reasonable land since the ball public policy, to ensure something like this never happens again. so the president will speak more about this later, but for now i will just say to the people of uvalde, please know that this is a roomful of leaders who grieve with you, and we are praying for you and we stand with you. and it is difficult at a time like this to think about much else but i do look around this room men don't know who is here and they know that as a roomful of american leaders who know and have the courage to take a stand and so let us tonight as we do every time we all get together,

recommit ourselves to having the courage to take action. that was us vice president kamala harris speaking a little earlier saying that enough is enough, addressing a roomful of american lawmakers and talking about how important it is now two move forward with gun reforms. we can speak now to former fbi special agent tracy walder, i want to add as well that tracy is also a mother whose child is currently attending elementary school in texas and she joins us now from dallas. tracy, in the first instance, thank you so much. i can't imagine as a mother myself what must be running through your mind today and the minds of the people in the community that you are in. took through your reaction to what has happened this morning. thank you so much for having me. it is so interesting, obviously as a four gate agent and the aa office i have served

in war zones, served in afghanistan and done all kinds of things that are possibly put me in danger but receiving a news alert on my phone while i was grocery shopping today that said shooting at a texas elementary school and having to step outside and quickly open up step outside and quickly open up the article to see if this was in fact the school my daughter was at which it was not, thank god, was really one of the most difficult things that had crossed through my mind even after serving all these really dangerous tours overseas. these really dangerous tours overseas-— these really dangerous tours overseas. ~ , ., overseas. absolutely tracy and i can completely _ overseas. absolutely tracy and i can completely empathise - overseas. absolutely tracy and | i can completely empathise and understand that, but when a tragedy of the sort unfolds in your state, when this sort of thing happens to a community like that, how do people recover from this? like that, how do people recoverfrom this? how like that, how do people recover from this? how do they heal from this?— heal from this? that is really tou~h heal from this? that is really tough because _ heal from this? that is really tough because the _ heal from this? that is really tough because the reality - heal from this? that is really tough because the reality is, | heal from this? that is really| tough because the reality is, i don't think any of these parent

expect it to drop their kids off at school today to have them not come home and to have their lives snuffed out by a gunman, but i think one of the best things that we can do is come together and try to pass some legislation here to work on banning these assault weapons. on banning these assault weapons-— on banning these assault wea-ons. . ., , ., " ., weapons. we have been talking a lot about gun _ weapons. we have been talking a lot about gun control _ weapons. we have been talking a lot about gun control and - weapons. we have been talking a lot about gun control and gun - lot about gun control and gun reform bill ores in the us and we have heard from various officials throughout the course officials throughout the course of this morning, lawmakers on either side of the political debate. forthe either side of the political debate. for the benefit of international audience, debate. for the benefit of internationalaudience, perhaps you can explain why it is so difficult for americans to see eye to eye on this and come to some sort of conclusion. 1t is some sort of conclusion. it is interesting. _ some sort of conclusion. it is interesting, too. _ some sort of conclusion. it is interesting, too. i— some sort of conclusion. it is interesting, too. i am - some sort of conclusion. it is interesting, too. i am a - some sort of conclusion. 11k 3 interesting, too. i am a former law enforcement officer and i have owned a gun personally throughout my life and i am not necessarily ante gun. what is difficult is, it is a

constitutional amendment, to the second amendment right to own a weapon, however i'm not sure that our founding fathers intended for this to happen and what really kind of complicates theissue what really kind of complicates the issue more is, guns have obviously been legal for well over 270 years here in the united states and once they are out and about it is really difficult to put those back into the bag so even if you make them illegal they asked bill out there and that becomes difficult. also we have lobbying groups and people want to retain their offices and they are appealing to people to pass legislation that furthers whatever their ideological goals are and what is so interesting as i don't think the second amendment was intended to be political and i don't think the death of children really should be political, but yet here we are in terms of one side and the other side and i think on either extreme you have banning

all guns versus allowing everyone to have a gun at every time and really the reality is we need to be somewhere in the middle but we seem to be sort of governing from the farthest reaches. �* . of governing from the farthest reaches. �* , ., ., ~' of governing from the farthest reaches. �* , ., ., ~ , reaches. and 'ust took us through what _ reaches. and just took us through what the - reaches. and just took us| through what the situation reaches. and just took us i through what the situation is typically in texas, though. because as they understand it, according to our partners in the us, cbs news who have talking to law enforcement sources, the suspect was armed with a handgun and an ar—15 semiautomatic rifle and he may have also had high—capacity ammunition magazines when he entered the school. surely that can't be allowed in texas? 1t can't be allowed in texas? it is can't be allowed in texas? 11k is allowed in texas and just from what i am seeing in reporting, he did obtain them legally and what we are seeing, about ten years ago we unfortunately saw a school shooting, we are seeing people

obtaining weapons illegally but he obtained these legally and in texas there is no ban on assault weapons copy you can buy them when you turn 18 and you can have them, you can have long guns and you can also have handguns and so since he was 18 and there is reporting that is coming out that he purchased them legally, it is well within his rights to own those weapons and it was the same thing that we saw in buffalo, new york, those weapons were obtained legally, same thing in michigan and same thing that we have seenin and same thing that we have seen in a lot of school shootings that these have been obtained legally and what is even interesting as there's pictures coming out now from theissue pictures coming out now from the issue to's social media page and it is pretty full of assault weapons on their which ifind quite interesting. 1 i find quite interesting. i just want to ask you as well about the fact that, as a understand it, you have had analysis before when you have spoken to us about what needs

to happen to try and solve this problem, for want of a better phrase, and you have talked about the fact that perhaps there needs to be a discussion about the age and gender of perpetrators and the sorts of shootings, can you elaborate on that? ~ ., ., , that? wanted found very interesting _ that? wanted found very interesting and - that? wanted found very interesting and again - that? wanted found very i interesting and again what that? wanted found very - interesting and again what i'm not trying to do is pigeonhole and age or gender but i am seeing most recently, sandy hook, parkland, 0xford michigan, buffalo, really all over is what we are seeing is really 18—year—old males, and what a really seeing as this connection with social media and these sort of media chat boards like fortune where really anything goes and free speech is protected and they are discussing things like mass shootings or radicalisation and things like that and really starting to notice a direct correlation between this. ==

correlation between this. -- 4chan. correlation between this. —— 4chan. whenever we report on tragedies like this there is also notjust in the community but across the united dates as a imagine and you've alluded to as well, we are hearing that president biden will be speaking imminently about this, we have already heard from vice president kamala harris. what are you expecting him to say? that is tough. president biden was vice president when sandy hook happened and it really was tapped by 0bama to get the lead on getting legislation passed to have some common sense gun control and what is even more interesting is the congressman who governed this uvalde is against any kind of background checks. i think what biden is going to try to do is try to find that middle ground that i'd discussed earlier and try to see if we can get some

passage of what we call common sense gun legislation. i think that might be thought of the push of what this news conference is going to be. tracy waldau, thank you so much forjoining us on the programme with your thoughts and your analysis, i really appreciate it. as tracy was discussing there, the debate around gun ownership, gun control continues to rage in the united dates on either side of the spectrum. we have been hearing from lawmakers all day in fact since this tragedy unfolded. i want to have you listen to chris murphy, a democrat from connecticut whether sandy hook shooting took place in 2012 as you all remember. made an impassioned appealfor you all remember. made an impassioned appeal for concrete action to prevent further violence of this sort. 1&1

action to prevent further violence of this sort. 14 kids dead in an _ violence of this sort. 14 kids dead in an elementary - violence of this sort. 14 kids | dead in an elementary school violence of this sort. 14 kids - dead in an elementary school in texas right now. what are we're doing? what are we're doing? just days after a shooter walked into a grocery store to gun down african—american patrons we have another sandy hook on our hands. what are we're doing? there are more mass shootings than days in the year. our kids are living in fear. every single time they set foot in a classroom because they think they are going to be next. what are we're doing? why do you spend all this time running for the united states senate, why do you go through all the hassle of getting this job, of putting yourself in a position of authority if your

answer is that as the slaughter increases, as kids run for their lives, we do nothing? what are we're doing? why are you here? if not to solve a problem as existential as this. this isn't inevitable. these kids were not unlucky. this only happens in this country and nowhere else. nowhere else to little kids go to school thinking that they might be shocked that a.— thinking that they might be shocked that a. that was chris murh shocked that a. that was chris murphy there _ shocked that a. that was chris murphy there speaking - shocked that a. that was chris murphy there speaking a - shocked that a. that was chris murphy there speaking a little j murphy there speaking a little earlier, it is hard not to be moved by those words. and this debate as we have been telling you taking place in the aftermath of that tragedy. a little earlier i spoke with robin thomas, the executive

director of the gifford's law centre to prevent gun violence. this is, as many have said, the absolute worst nightmare for any parent, for any community, all gun violence is awful and certainly in this country it is just off the chart these days but an elementary school shooting isjust but an elementary school shooting is just something that is hard for us to fathom and they know you just had senator murphy speaking who ran for congress and represents the district where sandy hook happen. i think for many of us following this issue, wondering what it is going to take for our national leaders to actually take action in this country. it doesn't have to be this way. we can prevent these types of shootings and we choose not to and i think that is what makes them so many of us upset and angry and just frustrated that it keeps happening and there is never any change. happening and there is never any change-—

happening and there is never an chance. .,, ., ,, any change. robin, when we talk about situations _ any change. robin, when we talk about situations like _ any change. robin, when we talk about situations like this, - any change. robin, when we talk about situations like this, the - about situations like this, the tragedies, i should say, that's the right word for it in the united dates, people from all around the world are perplexed copy they are wondering why can't these sorts of things be sorted out! why can't americans come to some sort of common understanding about this issue and for the benefit of our international audience, and for the benefit of our internationalaudience, can and for the benefit of our international audience, can you talk us through why people are so divided on this? absolutely. i think so divided on this? absolutely. i think what — so divided on this? absolutely. i think what is _ so divided on this? absolutely. i think what is really _ i think what is really important for people to know is that the american people themselves are actually not that divided on this issue. when we do polling in this country, 80%— 80% of americans support all kinds of common sense gun regulations. this is not something the american people are opposed to. this is something that special interests and lobbying groups like the nra and the gun industry who have politicians who do their bidding in washington, dc have a stranglehold on and for a long time the conversation has not

been about solutions. it has not been about what can we do to prevent this. it's been about who holds the reins of power in washington and unfortunately we have a very divided congress, very much beholden to special interest and so they are not willing to actually do what their constituents want. even gun owners when they pole them and ask them do you agree we should have background checks for every sale of a gun, 75% of gun owners in america agree with that and yet it is not something we can actually get our congress to do, so yes it is an important debate, there is an important debate, there is certainly a range of opinions, americans definitely hold gun rights much more dearly than many other places however it is not something that the american people agree with the kind of inaction that our government has held for so long and i think that is what is so frustrating to me, is that we actually agree on a lot in this country when it comes to gun regulation and we still can't get the leaders in

washington and many states