At least 19 children and two adults have been killed after a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a town about 80 miles west of San Antonio. It’s the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook Elementary, when 20 children and six staff members were killed in Newtown, CT, in 2012.

I am a former educator who is heartbroken today. In my years of service, the importance of safety was always a priority and remains one today.

I realize the stance our leaders and others are taking to fight for gun control, but this is not the moment to do so. It is also not going to stop the violence either. Gun control is not the core solution.

Need….

Our country, at this moment, needs to gather together to support a community that has lost the precious gifts of life. This community needs our prayers, support, and encouragement. This traumatic event is a ripple effect of adding layers to an already fragile world.

Mental health is the need. We need more mental health, adding additional layers to the fragility of a world already exhausted from trauma. We need more positives to take away all of the negatives. Pause for a moment to think about all of the negativity surrounding the youth and young adults today. The active-shooter was 18 years old. How many active shooters in schools are young adults?

Hope….

I always hope to bring peace, solutions, and continued hope. Today, my thoughts are with the community at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A great deal of work will need to be done to help with the healing, comfort, and loss they have experienced.

We have a great deal of work to do after taking time in this season of grief and healing.

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