this morning, we're live in yew uvalde, texas, where the community is trying to come to grips with the loss of 21 lives. >> parents across the country are talking to their children. >> and it's not just in the united states. families around the world are feeling the acute pain coming out of texas well. >> we'll look at the law enforcement officers who stopped

the gunman even after being shot themselves >> law enforcement officials did what they do they showed amazing courage, by running toward gunfire >> our gabe gutierrez has much more ahead >> and we'll have the latest on the baby formula shortage. "early today" starts right now >> i'm frances rivera. of. >> and i'm phillip mena. >> president biden hopes to bring a little comfort to this community. the entire nation is grieving along with that small texas town where two teachers and 19 children were murldered inside their classroom.

wendy woolfolk joins us. it is hard for us to process this tragedy i cannot imagine what it is hike there. >> reporter: phillip, frances, good morning to you. there were several times i almost broke down during my live shots yesterday. i can't begin to put into words what this community is going through. you have 21 families who were supposed to be making summer plans. instead, they making funeral arrangements this entire community is asking for time and space to agood bye. grief and anger slowly replace the shock in this small, texas town after a gunman stole the living of 19 students and two teachers inside robb elementary school. r residents gather to grieve and remember >> i cry a lot, and i cried a

lot today and yesterday. >> reporter: governor greg abbott describes the pain fit across the state >> to say the least, yuvalde has been shaken to its core. all texans are grieving with the people of uvalde, and people are rightfully angry >> reporter: during the governor's press conference, his democratic opponent, beto o'rourke spoke up. >> sir, you're out of line >> reporter: growing frustration after this latest mass shooting. >> and in this space, i fieel so powerless, because we try and we try, and we can't get a modicum of gun sense e. >> reporter: but for this small, texas community, life forever changed. >> we need have a voice. we need to speak there's something that has to be

done this cannot happen again >> reporter: and the people want to be heard. so much pain, so much grief here in this spmalle vision into the background of the gunman at this point, investigators know he had who cno criminal hi, no gang affiliation. they're hoping that his 66-year-old grandmother, whom investigators say he shot in the face, they're hoping she'll be able to pull through and give answers everybody is looking for. >> there is a worry for parents of school kids all across the country who are struggling to process the horrific school shoot

shooting in texas. >> reporter: with the horror of another school shooting on interest minds, parents had to wake up and do what they normally do on a wednesday get interetheir kids out the do school >> wondering thohow to tell my children about what they were going to hear today and not frighten them. >> i sat here and cried, wondering if they'll come home >> lingered a bit longer at home hug hugged a bit tighter at dropoff. and after i made sure they were inside, i prayed a little more specifically for their safe return tonight >> i felt his cheek next to mie mine, and i thought how lucky am i. and then how unlucky am i that i

live in a country that allows this >> should i send them, or should i not? >> i tell myself that my two kids, clara and charlie are two of tens and millions and today probably won't be the day that i win the worst lottery that there ever was >> reporter: teacher matt dix also pledges this. one mom in arkansas couldn't even send her kids to school >> i felt more comfortable keeping him home with me >> reporter: in some places, the fear runs deeper like in park parkland, florida and then there are the parents in uvalde itself >> my 5-year-old did go to

school, and having to explain to him why he had to hide under his desk for half of the day is very hard he can't comprehend it he just said that he was happy that him and his best friend luis were safe >> reporter: being safe at school is something kids and their parents should be able to take for granted but they don't, not in this country, not anymore step step stephanie gosk, nbc news much of the focus and anger has turned to capitol hill, wondering what it will take for lawmakers to take some action instead of offering thoughts and prayers. what if anything is washington doing about this >> reporter: good morning to you. chuck schumer said they would take up gun safety legislation after memorial day the two bills passed in the

house two years ago. they haven't got ten to the senate floor, because democrats don't have the votes to overcome the 60-vote filibuster democrats are increasing pressure on republicans. >> if we can't get 60 senators that don't have a common sense, what are we here for >> reporter: when it comes to gun control, americans are on board, according to a cbs ugov poll gun violence in america has been thrust in the spotlight, the global spotlight yet again, and while every country has gun violence of some sort, the u.s. as far higher rates.

>> gunman killed 19 children >> reporter: yet again, the world's attention is on guns and mass murder in america in 2020, 45,000 people died in gun violence in the u.s. more than half were suicides, but 19,000 were murders, the most since 1968. while central and south america lead the world in gun deaths, the u.s. has far higher rates tha than canada, europe or asia. >> why they have tdomestic disputes in other incumbents >> reporter: butt there are 393 million firearms nationwide. >> i think something is dying inside the soul of this nation

m we when we accept this as the new normal >> reporter: to a nba coach who doesn't want to talk about basketball fro >> we can't get numb to this we can't just raid ead about itd go, well, a moment of silence. >> reporter: pope francis said it's time to say enough to the indiscriminate trafficking of weapons. new zealand dramatically changeditchange its own laws after ale gunman many killed people the uk banned nearly all handguns keir simmons says guns are simply not part of british

culture. you are the father of two daughters. i'm the father of two daughters. do your children worry about the potential for a mass shooting in interes their skal >> i feel hlike we're talking different languages. >> you are the ones we turn to yet america is one of the most become ward places in the world. >> reporter: as always, the world is watching. tom costello, nbc news, washington >> let's all take a breath and look at our weather. in w >> we are watch ago storm system bringing flooding rains. you can see a large area seeing showers, storms, even early this morning, this is going to expand

as we head trhroughout the day. we're going to see that once again today. we do have a severe threat as well we we're looking at 18 million people at risk, even the chance for a few tornados we're looking at a lowa warmer day through the northern plains and inner mountain west when i come back in just a bit, we're going to lack ook ahead te

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so spray your dishes clean... with dawn powerwash dish spray. we are learning more about the horrific shooting at robb elementary school and how law enforcement officer were finalry able to break in and stop it >> reporter: the raulaw enforcen officers are hailed as heroes. the agent was wounded but survived >> law enforcement officials did what they do they showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire for the sing rsing rar purpose o

trying to save lives >> reporter: the gunman barricaded himself inside a courtroom. >> at the breached the classroom door they went in, engage the raw moye mose and killed him at this scene. >> we're really -- it's hard to put into words >> reporter: this is yewuvalde's city manager across the u.s., gunmen have become protected during rampages they have worn some kind of body armor. among them, the killers in aurora, colorado in 2012, san

bernardino, california in 2015 in buffalo this month. that retired officer, was laid to rest. >> on one of the darkest days if the history of buffalo, he made a choice to stand tall i gave all that he had to protect all he believed in >> reporter: it's illegal under federal law for a convicted felton buy body armor. law enforcement officers are increas increasingly outgunned >> this is a rieal tragedy. we're another town on a growing list after the break here on "early today," parkimarking twor since the death of george floyd. plus qoprah gives ellen some

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moderna this changes everything. in today's top stories, a second plane carrying emergency baby formula landed at dulles airport. the plane was greeted by first lady jill biden and the formula will hit shelves this weekend concerns about safety violations at the abbott formula plant took months to reach senior fda officials. oklahoma now has the strictest abortion ban in the country. republican governor kevin stitt

put his signature on a bill that prohibits all abortion at any time, immediately. the only exceptions now, cases of rape or inzcest or if the lif of the mother is at risk planned parenthood plans to sue. amber heard's lawyers rested their case, and lawyers for depp began calling witnesses. he addressed prior testimony, regarding a rumor that he pushed kate moss down a set of stairs earlier, moss denied the claim, saying she slipped and fell down the stairs during vacation with depp a 11-year-old in kentucky says he sees a future in

sciences he passed his first college-level exam he now has six college credits he wants to become a veterinarian, paleontologist and film maker when he gets older. for now his parents expect him to complete high school classes you are going to be missed >> thank you, oprah. thank you. i, i hope so, because a that means that i made an impact, and i know that's all we're called to do is to have meaning in our life and i've learned that from you, and that's what you it for me. >> oprah reminded ellen to take some well-deserved time off. she announced that her show

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right now, the shock is wearing off, and the grief is starting to settle in. the growing tributes to the victims of tuesday's school shooting in uvalde, texas, and the unfolding investigation, with the focus now on the timeline and the suspects history. >> here in the bay area, a memorial planned to honor nine