♪ tonight, the emotional plea from actor matthew mcconaughey. >> uvalde, texas, is where i was born. >> remembering the young victims at the white house briefing room. >> these are the same green converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her at the shooting. how about that. >> we're with uvalde's only pediatrician as he heads to capitol hill. >> had you ever seen anybody shot in that way, with that kind of a caliber gun? >> no, no, never. >> his message for congress. inside a texas gun show. the rare moment of agreement on the controversial ar-15 style rifle. >> raising the age limit from 18 to 21, is that something that someone like you could agree to?

>> i can agree to that, yes. >> this special edition of "nightline," "guns in america," will be right back. another c? of course—you're a cio in 2022. but you're ready. because you've got the next generation in global secure networking from comcast business. with fully integrated security solutions all in one place. so you're covered. on-premise and in the cloud. you can run things the way you want —your team, ours or a mix of both. with the nation's largest ip network.

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horrific school shooting at robb elementary school. the massacre reigniting calls for change and action. today abc news has devoted much of its coverage to gun violence. tonight, we begin with the story of the only pediatrician in uvalde, texas, who saw up close the carnage caused by assault weapons. here is abc's mireya villarreal. >> had you ever seen anybody shot in that way, with that kind of a caliber gun? >> no, no, never. >> reporter: dr. roy gurrero, the only pediatrician in uvalde, texas, describing the horrors he saw at the hospital after the shooting at robb elementary. >> something you never forget. something that shouldn't ever happen. just by seeing those injuries and seeing the wounds caused by this type of weapon. >> reporter: he will share this story with congress tomorrow morning alongside others impacted by the recent spate of mass shootings, including felix

ru rubio, who lost lawyer lexi in uvalde. >> our baby's gone. we can't hold her anymore. this is the only way we hold her, a picture. >> reporter: and zanetta everhart, whose son zaire was wounded in the massacre at the tops grocery store in buffalo last month. >> i want those lawmakers in that room to understand that this isn't, you know, just another mass shooting. this isn't, you know -- this is my kid. >> reporter: all hoping that this time is different. a sentiment shared by uvalde native matthew mcconaughey. >> we need background checks. we need to raise the minimum age to purchase an ar-15 rifle. to 21. we need a waiting period for those rifles. we need red flag laws and consequences for those who abuse them. >> reporter: the actor and his wife urging action at the white house briefing today after

spending several days with grieving families. he spoke about the victims, including maya rodriguez and her favorite sneakers. >> green converse, a heart on the right toe. these are the same green converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her at the shooting. how about that. >> reporter: uvalde is a small rural town where dr. guerrero grew up hunting with his father, a ranch foreman. owning guns, a way of life in this area. >> i believe in everyone's right to bear arms. but my question is, does anyone have the right to bear this type of arm? assault weapons. weapons that are made to destroy and to kill that are meant for war. >> that wa used on that day. >> exactly, exactly. after what i saw, and to the degree of wounds that i saw that die on these tiny children, there's no need for anyone to have assault weapons.

and that's coming from me, raised on a ranch with a .-caliber gun every weekend with my dad. >> reporter: dr. guerrero traveling 3,000 miles to be a voice for the departed. the 19 students and two teachers gunned down with an assault rifle. did you wrestle with whether or not you wanted to do this? >> no, not for a second. because in my mind, it's my obligation as a pediatrician, as a physician. as we say in the hippocratic oath, do no harm. i feel doing nothing is being neglectful to that oath. >> reporter: by his side, 11-year-old mia serrilo, one of his patients. she's never been to washington, d.c. before. in fact, this is her first plane ride. the fourth grader making this journey so she can tell congress how just two weeks ago, she survived the shooting by wiping the blood of her dead classmate

on herself and playing dead. when you hear that, how does that sit with you? >> not well. immediately i think is, how is she going to -- first of all, get through this, right? second of all, what is she going to feel like and react like in one or two or three weeks or months from now? >> reporter: he treated mia's shrapnel injuries at the hospital within hours of the shooting. dr. guerrero lost several of his young patients that day. you lost five patients? >> yes. two of which i just can't even begin to explain -- because i've known them since they were 5 days old. now they're 10, 11 years old, and they're gone. >> reporter: guerrero himself is a robb elementary school alumni. after medical school, he set up his pediatric clinic on the back side of his house, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother to come back to this city and serve the tight-knit community. >> i had that dream, that little boy dream, i want to be a

doctor. come home, take care of people. >> i know you want to help people. you say you signed up for this. but -- not this. >> no, not this. no one's prepared for this. no one ever wants to see this. but i think in a way you're also destined to help the families that you've known for so long to get through this. >> reporter: judge diaz jr. was also a witness to the horror of that day, because the town has no medical examiner, he was tasked with helping to identify the dead. he went into one of the classrooms and was struck by what he heard. >> the cell phones kept ringing. in the backpacks and on her desk. that broke my heart. because i knew that parents were looking for their kids. and i had to hurry up. >> reporter: the images and sounds from that day burned into his memory, pushing him to also advocate for change. >> i think a responsible gun

owner understands that, look, if i have to wait 30 days or 15 days for my gun, that's okay. you have to wait for a passport, you have to wait for a lot of different things. the high school years are very critical for a young person because they're going through a lot emotionally. so if you wait till they get out of that and they're 21, they're in a different state of mind. >> reporter: changes like strengthening background checks and incentives for red flag laws are part of a potential bipartisan compromise senate democrats are hashing out this week. dr. guerrero and mia are hoping to influence those talks with their stories tomorrow. they'll be addressing some of the most recognizable members of the house of representatives. >> i don't want anyone to forget uv uvalde. i want to be here with you in two weeks, two months, two years, and say, what have we done? how did we change this from happening again? >> reporter: mia's testimony will likely be a video. her doctor by her side to help her through it all.

>> that's a big responsibility. >> yes, yes. mia's words are almost sacred at this point, right? with respect to her and her family, ands a with mia's best intentions in place, i think mia will be able to speak out and say what she has to say and make an impact. >> our thanks to mireya. uvalde continues to bury those killed in the elementary school master. 10-year-old xavier lopez was laid to rest today. he was a student of the robb elementary teacher, shot along with every one of his students. here's abc's amy robach. >> it was just bullets everywhere, then i just remember border patrol saying, "get up, get up." and i couldn't get up. >> did you feel abandoned in that moment? by police, by the people who are supposed to protect you?

>> absolutely. after everything, i get more angry because you have a bullet-proof vest. i had nothing. i had nothing. you're supposed to protect and serve. there is no excuse for their actions. and i will never forgive them. i will never forgive them. >> how many students were in your classroom when the shooter came in? >> 11 students. >> so the shooter killed every single student in your classroom? >> yes, ma'am. that's when i got to thinking, you know? this family lost one. this family lost one. i lost 11 that day. and i went to the parents and

said, i'm sorry, i tried my best. with what i was taught to do. please don't be angry with me. >> reporter: reyes says he doesn't think he can ever return to a classroom. but he's making it his mission to honor the lives of his students and two of his fellow teachers. >> i will not let these children and my i don't workers die in vain. i will not. i will go to the end of the world to make sure things get changed. >> our thanks to amy. coming up next, we go inside a gun show in the heart of texas. i've been telling everyone, the secret to great teeth... is having healthy gums. keep yours healthy with crest advanced gum restore.

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♪ ar-style rifles are dominating the debate over gun reform and safety. abc's matt gutman takes us inside a gun show in texas. >> reporter: we're in the heart of texas, an hour north of austin. here god, guns, and country are a way of life. and in small towns like this, gun shows are big events. it's a place where guns are cultural touchstones. >> when i was a kid, going to high school, late '70s, i'd go to school with a .22 shotgun in the gun rack in back of the truck. it was commonplace. >> reporter: sanders, father of

two boys, has been promoting and running gun shows for decades. >> we were more afraid of our parents than the police. >> reporter: making sure the vendors are happy and well stocked. front and center, ar-style rifles, subject of fierce national debate over gun safety. inexpensive, easy to use rifle known for its ability to fire destructive rounds at high speeds. it's been the weapon of choice for gunmen in 12 of the deadliest mass shootings in the past decade. >> the shooter used a high-powered assault rifle. >> an ar-15 seen through the battered doorway of the shooter's luxury suite. >> carrying an ar-15 rifle inside a soft black case. >> reporter: it's been two weeks since the murderous rampage at robb elementary in uvalde. authorities say the shooter purchased an ar-15 style rifle one day after his 18th birthday, one week before the shooting. 20 million of these guns are in legal circulation nationwide. and you could say that america's love affair with firearms runs

deep. this eye-popping photo series called "ameriguns" taken bay photographer for "national geographic," showing americans' intense affinity for guns and gun culture. >> guns in america are not just guns, things, inanimate objects, a collection of parts that make up this thing that controls an explosion which is what a gun is. they're also exceedingly symbolic to us, to our psyches. >> reporter: ryan bosse is a former gun executive turned gun reform advocate, senior advisor to gabby giffords' group. >> we have 450 million guns in the united states. 20 years ago, we sold about 3 million guns in the united states every year. last year, well over 20 million guns. 20 years ago, we sold literally almost zero ar-15s to the general public. last year, we sold between 5 and 9 million to the general public. this has been going on for multiple years.

i wouldn't feign shock or surprise or some thought that this is broken. this is what anybody should have expected would happen. >> reporter: on this day you can get $100 off an ar-15 style rifle at this gun show. typically they cost anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. in harker heights, texas, we wanted to know what folks here thought about calls to reform gun policy, including raising the buying age for an ar-15 style rifle from 18 to 21 years old. sources tell abc news tonight senate minority leader mitch mcconnell has expressed openness. jake and hudson are licensed gun dealers. how many of your buyers are 18? i mean, percentage-prize? >> maybe 20%. >> i bought so many guns when i was 18. i bought so many guns before i was 21. it's my right. >> if someone wants to buy a firearm, a long gun, at 18, would you recommend an ar style?

>> i'd recommend it only for the hunting and because it's so lightweight. it's really good for beginning shooters. >> this one right here. 556 full-sized rifle. all you got to be is 18 to buy it, pass a background check. fbi clears you, if you're cleared, you buy the gun. >> take it home at the same time? >> take it home at the same time only if the fbi clears you then and there. >> reporter: but sanders, who's been around guns and young people, isn't so sure. raising the age limit 18 to 21, is that something that someone like you could agree to? >> i could agree to that, yes. you can't buy a pistol until you're 21. you can't drink until you're 21. i don't know many 18-year-olds that are responsible enough or mature enough. >> reporter: and in this issue of responsibility, we found the most fertile common ground. almost everyone agreeing that more education is necessary and red flag laws that could identify the kind of lone wolf attacker who stalked uvalde.

>> you have to critically think under stress, which is difficult to do. more training, more realistic training. >> reporter: the role of organizations like "alert" is not to prevent those kinds of shootings, it's to train responders to get this fast and stop the killing and stop the bleeding. right now they're preparing as if they are responding to an active shooter situation. the shots are the cue to go in. >> down the hall, move, move! >> reporter: at texas state university in san marcos, the people behind a.l.e.r.t. -- advance active shooter training. >> like mike tyson said, everyone has a plan till you get pinched in the mouth. my job as an instructor is to punch you in the mouth in a controlled, safe environment so i can coach you through how to

get past that initial shock and get back to the mission. >> reporter: yesterday, texas governor abbott tasked a.l.e.r.t. with providing training schools in texas. drill and repeat and repeat again. what's immediately apparent here is how disorienting even this controlled simulation can be. and constantly the multiplicity of decisions. >> we have one suspect down, one injured. >> how many decisions do you think are being made during the initial first five minutes of an active shooter? >> over 100. easy. >> reporter: making everything more complex, the presence of an ar-15 style rifle. does the breech change? >> it changes a lot of things. we're getting hit as we're trying to work the door. it makes it hard to work the door. if the door is locked, then we've got to bring out breaching tools, pry the door open. that sequence will take time. time that you're still getting shot at through the door.pso pe

very long if they stand there and get shot up. so that may not be the best way in. or if it is you're going to have to bring armor with you. >> reporter: at the heart of their training doctrine is a single principle -- be willing to risk your life doing it? >> we do. we're willing to risk our lives. but this is what it means in the absolute worst sense. we do a lot of risky things day to day, but this is the absolute worst. you may not walk away from this. >> reporter: the presence of something with the velocity and magazine capacity of an ar-style weapon makes that all more likely. >> our thanks to matt. coming up next, a tribute to the lives lost to gun violence since sandy hook. they both have bugs, but only one has zevo. want a worry-free way to kill bugs? zevo traps use light—not odors or chemical insecticides—to attract and trap flying insects.

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♪ as we wrap our coverage of gun violence in america, authorities say the uvalde suspect purchased his ar-15 style rifle the day after his 18th birthday. these are the faces of all the victims killed by ar-15 style rifles since sandy hook. nearly 10 years ago. more than 300 people. that's "nightline" for tonight. good night, america.