US: Joe Biden visits Uvalde after shooting

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the small Texas city of Uvalde on Sunday, as it mourned the loss of victims in a mass shooting at an elementary school.

The president stopped at a makeshift memorial of 21 white crosses — one for each of those killed during Tuesday's massacre.

The crosses have been erected around a fountain at Uvalde's courthouse square, where people have left growing piles of toys and flowers, as well as messages like "Love you" and "You will be missed."

The first lady later added a bouquet of white flowers to a pile in front of the Rob Elementary School sign.

The Bidens then headed for Mass at a local Catholic church and were later expected to meet with first responders and families affected by the attack, which killed 19 students and two teachers.

Outside the church, people urged Biden to "do something," to which Biden said, "we will." 

Gun control discussions come up again

This was Biden's second trip within weeks to comfort a community affected by such a loss. The president had visited Buffalo, New York, on May 17 to meet with families of victims after a shooter killed 10 Black people at a supermarket.

"We have to stand stronger. We must stand stronger. We cannot outlaw tragedy, I know, but we can make America safer," Biden said on Saturday, at a commencement address at the University of Delaware.

Public discourse has been focused on gun control, as recent incidents have brought the issue back into the spotlight.

"If there's anything I could tell Joe Biden, as it is, just to respect our community while he's here, and I'm sure he will. But we need change. We need to do something about it," said Mckinzie Hinojosa, whose cousin was killed in the Tuesday attack.

The police response to the shooting has been under scrutiny after the attack in Uvalde. Officials said on Friday that students and teachers repeatedly begged 911 for help as a commander told police officers to wait in a hallway.

Officers said the commander believed the suspect was barricaded in an adjoining classroom, and was not active anymore. 

"When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?'" Biden had said in a speech hours after the shooting. 

Biden, who has lost two of his children, also spoke about the pain of the death of a child. 

Biden has spoken against gun violence on numerous occasions and has propagated more control over arms. 

mm, tg/msh (AFP, AP)