Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old who survived the Robb Elementary School massacre, described how she smeared herself with her friend’s blood and pretended to be dead.
Congress heard emotional testimony at a gun violence hearing today. Here are some of the key lines.
From CNN staff
US Rep. Jackie Speier reacts as she listens to testimony on Wednesday.
(Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images)
A House committee held a hearing today on gun violence, featuring a survivor and others affected by the recent shootings at a Uvalde elementary school and a Buffalo supermarket.
If you’re just reading in now, here’s some of what was said at today’s hearing:
An 11-year-old Uvalde shooting survivor described how she covered herself in her friend’s blood to stay alive.
In a pre-recorded video, 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo described to lawmakers how she survived the Robb Elementary School massacre by smearing her friend’s blood over herself and pretending to be dead.
Students tried to hide behind their teacher’s desk when the gunman entered the classroom, she said.
The gunman shot her teacher in the head, as well as some of her classmates, including her friend next to her, Cerrillo said.
When he went into the adjacent room, she got “a little blood and I put it all over me” and stayed quiet.
A Texas pediatrician described witnessing the “carnage in my hometown of Uvalde.”
Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician in Texas, described witnessing what he described as the “carnage in my hometown of Uvalde” during Wednesday’s hearing.
Guerrero — who said he’s lived in Uvalde his whole life and treated children in the community before the massacre — said that he “raced” to Uvalde Memorial Hospital on the day of the mass shooting. “I’ll never forget what I saw that day,” he said. As part of his testimony, he recounted a horrifying and disturbing scene:
A mother of Buffalo shooting survivor told anti-reform lawmakers: Come clean my son’s wounds.
Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Zaire Goodman, a victim of the Buffalo supermarket shooting who was treated and released from the hospital, called on lawmakers to act on gun violence during Wednesday’s hearing in emotional testimony.
“If after hearing from me and the other people testifying here today does not move you to act on gun laws, I invite you to my home to help me clean Zaire’s wounds so that you may see up close the damage that has been caused to my son and to my community,” she said.
An armed guards or giving weapons to teachers will not stop mass shootings, education union president said.
National Education Association President Rebecca Pringle says she is “frustrated, heartbroken and angry” that school shootings are still happening 23 years after the Columbine High School massacre.
Pringle called for politicians to pass common-sense gun control legislation and not put the onus on educators.
The Buffalo police chief said the 18-year-old supermarket shooting suspect shouldn’t have been able to legally buy military-style weapon.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia noted that the 18-year-old alleged White supremacist gunman who killed 13 people and wounded 10 others at a grocery store in a Black neighborhood of Buffalo was able to legally purchase a military-style weapon and body armor.
The mother of a Uvalde student killed in massacre outlined her demands for gun control policies.
Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school massacre, testified during the hearing and Kimberly outlined a list of demands for specific gun policies she wants to see enacted.
“Today, we stand for Lexi, and, as her voice, we demand action,” Kimberly said.
Here’s her list of demands:
“We seek a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. We understand that for some reason, to some people, to people with money, to people who fund political campaigns, that guns are more important than children. So at this moment we ask for progress.
“We seek to raise the age to purchase these weapons from 18 to 21 years of age.”
“We seek red flag laws, stronger background checks.”
“We also want to repeal gun manufacturers’ liability immunity.”
The father of a Uvalde school shooting survivor says she’s “not the same little girl” anymore.
Miguel Cerrillo, the father of Miah Cerrillo, spoke through tears Wednesday and said the shooting had changed his daughter.
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Hearing details of mass shootings can be difficult. Here's some expert advice on how to cope.
Survivors and others affected by the recent shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, are on Capitol Hill testified this morning about their experiences.
The testimony can be intense — and it comes at a time where it seems like nearly every day Americans find themselves processing another mass shooting. Over time, the number of casualties, the cities, and the circumstances may seem to blur together.
Psychologist John Duffy, author of “Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety,” spoke to some of his colleagues for some ideas on how best to care of ourselves, our loved ones and our children during these times. Here are some ideas from experts:
Normalize our fears: It’s OK to be fearful during times of uncertainty, instability and violence, according to clinical psychologist Alexandra Solomon, a clinical assistant professor at Northwestern University and host of the “Reimagining Love” podcast. Fear is, she said, a perfectly normal and expected reaction to such events.
Pay attention to your information intake: It’s important to be informed about what’s going on day-to-day, but be mindful that the news about mass shootings can be overwhelming to your family. To limit the anxiety you and your kids might experience, turn off the news at least some of the time, psychotherapist Kelley Kitley suggested. Remember to create some normal family time, doing chores and playing games. During times of high stress, a degree of normalcy will provide a sense of balance that your family needs.
Get involved in positive change: Families fare best when they have a mission to do something instead of standing by while terrible events are taking place. In fact, a 2020 meta-analysis by the journal Psychological Bulletin revealed that helping others improves our own emotional well-being, a powerful benefit fringe to getting involved. So get your family to make a donation, organize a march, or do something else in an effort to curb violence in this country. As Kitley told me, sometimes taking action and getting involve might help you feel empowered to be a part of something.
Nearly four hours into the hearing, the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee has paused it because the House has called a vote. The committee is in recess so that members can take part.
After two panels of witnesses gave opening statements, the committee members for the last two hours have been taking roughly five minutes each to ask questions of the second panel, including Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; National Education Association President Becky Pringle; Amy Swearer, legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation; and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
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Senators in bipartisan gun legislation group say they're making progress, but timing of a deal is still unclear
From CNN's Ali Zaslav and Ted Barrett
US Sen. Chris Coons said he's “hoping” to get a framework on gun safety legislation by the end of the week.
(CNN)
An hourlong meeting among the larger group of bipartisan senators working on gun safety legislation just ended, with senators saying they’re making progress toward a framework but the timing on reaching a deal still remains unclear.
After the meeting, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said he’s “hoping” to get a framework by the end of the week.
Several senators said the gathering was more of an informational meeting for the smaller group to share their latest with the big group and no decision were made.
The Delaware Democrat also said they were trying to take steps that will make it harder for people ages 18 to 20 from getting long guns.
Asked if he thinks they could reach a deal by Friday, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said “no one’s talked about timetables.”
“I’ve said the arbitrary deadlines are not our friend,” added Republican Sen. John Cornyn. “I think it’s reasonable to expect in the next couple of weeks, maybe this work period, I’m just speaking for myself, that’s an aspirational goal. Obviously, we have 100 senators who are free agents. They can do anything they want on whatever timetable. That’s all it is, an aspirational goal for me personally.”
Cornyn said there are still lots of sticking points but the group is motivated to get something done.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal reiterated that they’re making progress but they’re not at the place of discussing specific next steps yet.
Asked by a reporter what the latest major hang-ups are, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said “in my opinion, no significant ones.” He added: “I’m not going to get into specifics, there are always the details of implementation. That’s the next step.”
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy emerged from the meeting and said he felt the mental health component of the gun safety legislation is “80% settled.”
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy added: “Obviously, there’s the most common ground around health spending because it’s not as complicated politically but I think we have the opportunity to do something historic on mental health investment in this package.”
On discussions of juvenile records being included in background checks, Murphy noted they’re still working through the complexities of how to do that.
GOP Sen. Pat Toomey also said on Wednesday leaving the meeting he thinks there’s a “very real prospect that something will be done on the background check space” but what gets done is still unclear.
“I don’t think it’s likely to be exactly the Manchin-Toomey legislation, but doing something on background checks is likely,” he said.
Coons described the meeting as a “constructive conversation” and said he’s “optimistic we’ll have a package.”
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Attorney general announces team for DOJ review of law enforcement response to Uvalde shooting
From CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz
Attorney General Merrick Garland, center, speaks to reporters in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a team Wednesday led by the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) that will review the law enforcement response to the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Garland said the review is being undertaken at the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.
The Justice Department announced May 31 that it would be conducting a review.
“The review will be comprehensive, it will be transparent and it will be independent. We will be assessing what happened that day, we will be doing site visits at the school, we will be conducting interviews of an extremely wide variety of stakeholders, witnesses, families, law enforcement, government officials, school officials and we will be reviewing the resources that were made available in the aftermath,” Garland said during an event to announce the review.
Garland said the review will culminate in a final report that will incorporate the findings.
The assessment “will examine issues including policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response,” the department said in a statement outlining the review.
The Justice Department also said the COPS Office “will lead the critical incident review with the support of a team of federal staff and subject matter experts” that will include the FBI’s Albert Guarnieri, retired Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel, retired Deputy Chief of Police at Virginia Tech Gene Deisinger, as well as retired law enforcement officers from Coral Gables, Florida; Aurora, Illinois; and Pennsylvania State Police.
The announcement comes after weeks of national scrutiny over how officers responded to the shooting, which killed 19 children and two adults. Law enforcement’s description of the response has prompting criticism from parents, local school boards and national political figures.
Authorities said that police stood in the hallway as the gunman, who had an AR-15 style rifle, was inside the classroom for almost an hour and while children desperately called 911 for help. The delay appeared to violate commonly accepted protocol in active shooter situations, in which police are instructed to stop the gunman as soon as possible.
The DOJ has previously conducted after-action reviews of law enforcement responses to mass shootings, including after the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub and the 2015 shooting in San Bernardino, California.
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Armed guards or giving weapons to teachers will not stop mass shootings, education union president says
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
National Education Association President Rebecca Pringle testifies on Wednesday.
Andrew Harnik/Pool/Reuters
National Education Association President Rebecca Pringle says she is “frustrated, heartbroken and angry” that school shootings are still happening 23 years after the Columbine High School massacre.
“On April 20, 1999, I had been a middle-school science teacher in Pennsylvania for 23 years. No experience or training had prepared me for the questions my middle level learners asked me. As I joined my fellow teachers in shock and disbelief of the carnage that ended the lives of 12 students and one teacher, the only thing that comforted us was the belief that thissociety would never let it happen again,” she said.
“But the list continued to grow, didn’t it? Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas. And now: Robb Elementary,” Pringle added.
She said students and teachers who experienced shootings have suffered trauma that will last their whole lives.
“Students across the country are writing goodbye notes and wills, just in case. Unfortunately, their fear is perfectly rational. Here in America, we are 25 times more likely to die by gun than are people in other developed nations,” according to Pringle.
Pringle called for politicians to pass common-sense gun control legislation and not put the onus on educators.
“We cannot place enough armed guards at every school building in America to protect our babies. We cannot ask educators to carry weapons and wear body armor while teaching and nurturing our students, because by the time someone has shown up with a military weapons, it is already too late,” Pringle said.
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Buffalo police chief says 18-year-old shouldn't have been able to legally buy military-style weapon
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia, center, listens during Wednesday's hearing.
(Jason Andrew/Pool/The New York Times/AP)
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia spoke to the hearing on behalf of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), a professional organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the US and Canada, according to its website.
He noted that the 18-year-old alleged White supremacist gunman who killed 13 people and wounded 10 others at a grocery store in a Black neighborhood of Buffalo was able to legally purchase a military-style weapon and body armor.
“This radicalized 18-year-old adult should have never been able to have access to the weapons he used to perpetrate this attack, and the laws need to be enacted to ensure it never happens again,” he said.
He praised police and first responders for how they reacted to the shooting – but pushed for change to the system to prevent such attacks.
“We came together after this horrific tragedy, and we will continue to heal together. However, no city should have to go through this, and it is time to make changes to a system that is leaving blood on the side of our communities every day,” he said.
Gramaglia highlighted a set of firearms proposals adopted by the MCCA in 2018 that he said would limit gun violence and would not violate rights or due process, including:
Requiring universal background checks
Strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and approving access to records
Supporting use of extreme risk protection orders, or “red flag” laws
Prosecuting straw purchasers and prohibited possessors
Banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
“The MCCA will continue to call on elected reps to eschew politics and take the necessary steps to address the gun violence epidemic. Your leadership is needed now more than ever,” he said.
On Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a package of gun reform legislation, including bills that raise the minimum age to 21 to buy a semi-automatic rifle and that ban civilians from purchasing bullet-resistant vests unless required for their profession.
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We're hearing from those affected by the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings. Here's how to help those communities.
People visit a memorial May 21 for the victims of the Buffalo supermarket shooting.
(Joshua Bessex/AP)
We’ve been listening to survivors and other impacted by the recent mass shooting in New York and Texas testify before Congress today.
Hearing details of these two shootings can be difficult. If you’d like to help, the first line of support in many cases of mass shootings is to financially help the victims’ families, those injured and the communities where the tragedy took place.
To support families of the Uvalde tragedy, GoFundMe has verified fundraisers for those affected and the First State Bank of Uvalde has started a memorial fund:
In addition, The National Compassion Fund, the San Antonio Area Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country have partnered for Uvalde Strong Funds:
A “United with Uvalde” fund has also been started by the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County.
To support families of the Buffalo tragedy, GoFundMe has a verified Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund established by the National Compassion Fund: Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has also established The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund to help the neighborhood where the shooting took place: Buffalo Together Community Response Fund.
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New York City mayor on gun reform: "This isn't about blue vs. red, this is about right vs. wrong"
New York City Mayor Eric Adams testifies during Wednesday's hearing.
(Andrew Harnik/Pool/Reuters)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called on members of Congress to put aside their political differences and pass sensible gun legislation.
“This isn’t about blue vs. red, this is about right vs. wrong,” said Adams.
The mayor called on Congress to confirm Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Steve Dettelbach, “as soon as possible.”
Adams also suggested that Congress regulate or ban assault weapons. He said that “even if we raise the age” on the ability to purchase assault weapons, “lives will be saved.”
Adams called for “swift passage” of the package of gun reforms that the Senate is now considering. “Common sense gun reform must become the law of the land,” he said, in order to “make our cities and our people safer.”
The time for these reforms is now, said Adams. “It’s high noon in America,” he said.
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Read the Uvalde pediatrician's full testimony: "Those mother’s cries I will never get out of my head"
Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician from Uvalde, Texas, speaks during Wednesday's hearing.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Dr. Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician in Texas, testified during Wednesday’s hearing and recounted a horrifying and disturbing scene he saw at Uvalde Memorial Hospital on the day of the mass shooting.
Guerrero — who said he’s lived in Uvalde his whole life and treated children in the community before the massacre — said that he “raced” to Uvalde Memorial Hospital on the day of the mass shooting.
Read his full remarks here:
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Mother of Uvalde student killed in massacre outlines demands for gun control policies
From CNN's Clare Foran
Felix and Kimberly Rubio testify remotely on Wednesday.
Jason Andrew/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school massacre, testified during the hearing and Kimberly outlined a list of demands for specific gun policies she wants to see enacted.
“Today, we stand for Lexi, and, as her voice, we demand action,” Kimberly said.
Here’s her list of demands:
“We seek a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. We understand that for some reason, to some people, to people with money, to people who fund political campaigns, that guns are more important than children. So at this moment we ask for progress.
“We seek to raise the age to purchase these weapons from 18 to 21 years of age.”
“We seek red flag laws, stronger background checks.”
“We also want to repeal gun manufacturers’ liability immunity.”
In urging action, Rubio added: “Somewhere out there, there’s a mom listening to our testimony and thinking, ‘I can’t even imagine their pain,’ not knowing that our reality will one day be hers, unless we act now,” she said.”
Hear Kimberly Rubio’s testimony here:
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Conservative activist Lucretia Hughes says her son was killed by a convicted felon using illegal firearm
Conservative activist Lucretia Hughes testifies to the committee on Wednesday.
(Jason Andrew/Pool/Getty Images)
Lucretia Hughes, a conservative activist for the right-wing group Turning Point USA, spoke in the hearing about how her son was killed in 2016 by a convicted felon with an illegally obtained firearm.
“Words can’t describe how hard it is to bury a child. I ache for anyone and all who have done the same,” she said.
“My son’s death was a result of a criminal with an evil heart and a justice system failing to hold him accountable for the laws he had already broken.”
Hughes argued against gun control laws, described them as “steeped in racism,” and said those promoting them are “delusional.”
“St. Louis, New York, Chicago, Washington, Atlanta are gun control utopias and they are plagued with the most violence,” she said.
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Mother of Uvalde student killed in massacre says she doesn't want her daughter to be "just a number"
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Felix Rubio and Kimberly Mata-Rubio attended a ceremony for their 10-year-old daughter, Lexi, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24. Lexi received a good citizen award and accolades for getting all A grades in her classes.
Her parents didn’t expect their daughter to die later that day when a gunman opened fire inside the school.
“That photo, her last photo ever, was taken at approximately 10:54 a.m. To celebrate, we promised to get her ice cream that evening. We told her we loved her, and we would pick her up after school. I can still see her, walking with us toward the exit. In the reel that keeps scrolling across my memories, she turns her head and smiles back at us to acknowledge my promise. And then we left,” Kimberly Mata-Rubio said to lawmakers during a House hearing on gun violence.
She then went back to work at the Uvalde Leader-News and heard about a shooting on the police scanner.
The parents found out their son was safe, but they could not find their daughter. Felix Rubio is patrol deputy with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office.
Back in Uvalde, they found out their daughter had been killed.
“We don’t t want you to think of Lexi as just a number. She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. She was quiet, shy — unless she had a point to make. When she knew she was right, as she so often was, she stood her ground. She was firm, direct, voice unwavering,” Mata-Rubio said.
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Father of Uvalde school shooting survivor says she's "not the same little girl" anymore
Miguel Cerrillo, father of shooting survivor Miah Cerrillo, testifies during Wednesday's hearing.
Jason Andrew/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Miguel Cerrillo, the father of Miah Cerrillo, spoke through tears Wednesday and said the shooting had changed his daughter.
He has five children and Miah is the middle child. He described her as “everything, not only for me but her siblings and her mother.”
“Thank you for letting me be here and speak out, but I wish something will change, not only for our kids but for every single kid in the world because schools are not safe anymore,” he said. “Something needs to really change.”
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11-year-old Uvalde shooting survivor describes how she covered herself in friend's blood to stay alive
In a pre-recorded video, 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo described to lawmakers how she survived the Robb Elementary School massacre by smearing her friend’s blood over herself and pretending to be dead.
Students tried to hide behind their teacher’s desk when the gunman entered the classroom, she said.
The gunman shot her teacher in the head, as well as some of her classmates, including her friend next to her, Cerrillo said.
When he went into the adjacent room, she got “a little blood and I put it all over me” and stayed quiet.
She got her teacher’s phone to call 911. She told the dispatcher they needed help and to send the police.
Cerrillo said all she wants is “to have security” and that she is afraid to return to school for fear of another shooting.
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Pediatrician describes the "carnage" of the Uvalde elementary school shooting
From CNN's Clare Foran
Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician in Texas, described witnessing what he described as the “carnage in my hometown of Uvalde” during Wednesday’s hearing.
Guerrero — who said he’s lived in Uvalde his whole life and treated children in the community before the massacre — said that he “raced” to Uvalde Memorial Hospital on the day of the mass shooting. “I’ll never forget what I saw that day,” he said. As part of his testimony, he recounted a horrifying and disturbing scene:
Later in his testimony, Guerrero said, “I chose to be a pediatrician. I chose to take care of children. Keeping them safe from preventable diseases I can do. Keeping them safe from bacteria and brittle bones I can do. But making sure our children are safe from guns, that’s the job of our politicians and leaders.
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Uvalde survivor says she doesn't feel safe at school and believes there will be another shooting
In a pre-recorded video, 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo was asked what she wants to be different after the massacre. She answered: “to have security.”
Asked by an interviewer if she feels safe at school, she shook her head no. On why she doesn’t feel safe, she said, “Because I don’t want it to happen again.”
When she was asked if she thinks it’s going to happen again, she nodded yes.
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Mother of Buffalo shooting survivor to anti-reform lawmakers: Come clean my son's wounds
From CNN's Clare Foran
Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Zaire Goodman, a victim of the Buffalo supermarket shooting who was treated and released from the hospital, called on lawmakers to act on gun violence during Wednesday’s hearing in emotional testimony.
“If after hearing from me and the other people testifying here today does not move you to act on gun laws, I invite you to my home to help me clean Zaire’s wounds so that you may see up close the damage that has been caused to my son and to my community,” she said.
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The House committee hearing on gun violence has begun
A House committee hearing on gun violence, featuring several survivors and victims’ families from recent shootings, began in Congress just after 10 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The hearing was convened by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, chaired by Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York. House Democrats are describing it as a hearing on “the urgent need to address the gun violence epidemic.”
Maloney offered opening comments, followed by Rep. James Comer, Republican of Kentucky.
According to the committee’s website, key witnesses include Miah Cerrillo, a fourth-grade student who survived the Uvalde school shooting; Felix and Kimberly Rubio, the parents of Lexi Rubio, a 10-year-old killed in the shooting; Zeneta Everhart, the mother of Zaire Goodman, who was wounded in the Buffalo supermarket shooting; and several law enforcement officials.
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Uvalde 4th grader will testify via video at House hearing
From CNN's Lauren Fox
The House Oversight Committee says that fourth grader Miah Cerrillo’s testimony will happen via video this morning. Her dad will introduce it.
Here’s the full statement from Chair Carolyn Maloney:
