Texas school shooting: How celebrities are responding to the tragedy

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By VT

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Celebrities are using their respective platforms to speak out in the wake of the horrific shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which has caused the deaths of 21 people.

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old man opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where children between the ages of seven and 10 were learning.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars have shared their thoughts on the rampage and what this means for their country.

Matthew McConaughey, who is originally from Uvalde, wrote a lengthy message on Instagram discussing the massacre.

"Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us," he wrote in one part of the post. "The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror and ask ourselves, 'What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem?' We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo."

He went on to ask his fellow citizens to find "common ground" so that mass shootings will be a thing of the a past.

Taylor Swift took to Twitter to share the "rage" and "grief" she felt after learning what had happened in Uvalde.

She wrote: "Filled with rage and grief, and so broken by the murders in Uvalde. By Buffalo, Laguna Woods and so many others. By the ways in which we, as a nation, have become conditioned to unfathomable and unbearable heartbreak."

Kourtney Kardashian took to her Instagram story to urge for a change in laws where firearms are concerned and said school should be a safe place for children.

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Credit: Instagram

She wrote: "Schools should be a place where our kids go to learn, to make friends, to laugh, to grow, to discover themselves. A safe place where they can envision their futures. Not a place where their futures are taken away from them.

"How have we gotten to a point where it is acceptable for our children to be murdered in their schools? They deserve a safe place. They deserve protection. They deserve a FUTURE!"

Mandy Moore shared that there were "no words" but added that, "Uvalde, your entire community is in our hearts."

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Credit: Instagram

Amy Schumer shared an alarming stat along with a poignant message.

"Firearms are the #1 leading cause of death for American children and teens," she wrote, adding: "We are grieving with the Uvalde community, a predominantly Latinx community, and everyone else impacted by yet another senseless act of violence in our schools. This is yet another tragic example of how pervasive this public health crisis is in our country. @everytown."

Selena Gomez, who is originally from Texas, shared a heartfelt post of her own, writing: "Today in my home state of Texas 18 innocent students were killed while simply trying to get an education. A teacher killed doing her job; an invaluable yet sadly under appreciated job. If children aren't safe at school where are they safe?"

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy