蜜芽传媒

Nineteen children and two teachers have been killed in a school shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, around 80 miles (129km) west of San Antonio. It is the deadliest shooting at a US elementary school since 20 children and six adults died at Sandy Hook school a decade ago. President Joe Biden made an emotional call for the US to "stand up to the gun lobby" and tighten restrictions.

Champe Barton from The Trace, which reports on US gun violence, discusses whether this shooting will result in reform to gun ownership laws. He says that although shootings where large numbers of people are killed are rare, the number of incidents where fewer (four or more) are injured or killed is on the rise, according to a recent FBI report. He says that there is unlikely to be any meaningful reform as the gun lobby is very powerful, and it would be hard to get any new laws passed given the narrow margins between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

"These moments become rallying cries for either side that deepen rather than bridge the divide."

Photo: People mourn outside of the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, Texas Credit: Getty Images

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