John—
One year ago tomorrow, 21 lives were needlessly taken at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen children never went home to their families, and the Uvalde community is still struggling to rebuild.
As part of our work, my team and I flew out to Uvalde many times over the past year, interviewing dozens of residents. We witnessed a community in pain, as one would expect—but we also found that many people in Uvalde’s essential needs aren’t being met, making it harder to heal from this terrible tragedy. These conversations formed the basis for our latest publication, The Uvalde Report: A Path Forward for a Community—and Nation—Struggling to Heal.
Based on our conversations with Uvalde residents, as well as independent research, the report lays out specific recommendations for how local, state, and national leaders can better support Uvalde—and communities in similar situations across the country.
- Pass, Implement, and Improve Gun Safety Laws
- Expand Community-Based Services for Youth and Young Adults
- Develop Long-Term Mental Health Services
- Address Structural Racism
- Reform Victim Compensation Systems
- Create Trauma-Informed Schools
It’s our sincere hope that reports like this will help lead the way to thoughtful, meaningful action. But this is just a starting point, not the finish line.
With mass shootings on the rise, America’s response to these horrific events matters more than ever. We must do everything we can to prevent shootings before they happen, but we must also do more to help the communities around the country, including Uvalde, that have been devastated by gun violence.
I hope you’ll read and share our report.
In service,
Paul Carrillo
PS: If you’re with us, please consider making a donation to support our fight to end gun violence. We couldn’t do this without you.
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Paul Carrillo
Vice President
Giffords Center for Violence Intervention
