World leaders on Wednesday expressed their condolences to the United States over the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.
An 18-year old gunman went on a killing rampage at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde after murdering his grandmother earlier. The shooting in the heavily Latino town looks to be the deadliest at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
Salvador Ramos, a resident of the community about 85 miles (135 kilometers) west of San Antonio, purchased military-style rifles on his birthday and posted warning on social media.
Condolence messages poured from all over the world shortly after the incident, including from a host of Israeli officials.
"Israel mourns together with the American people the horrific murder of innocent children and teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said. "Our prayers are with the victims, their families and the American people."
"We are all devastated by the horrific shooting in Texas," Foreign Minister Yair Lapid added in a statement of his own. "The prayers of the people of Israel are with the families of the victims, the Uvalde community, and the American people," he said.
President Isaac Herzog said the hearts of Israelis are broken. "Horrified to hear news of the murderous rampage at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Our hearts are broken. The death of a child is a tragedy beyond measure, let alone the killing of nineteen innocent children and two adults. Israel joins the people of the United States in grief," he said in a Twitter post.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims of the worst school massacre in the United States for nearly a decade.
"I would like to express my condolences to all of the relatives and family members of the children who were killed in the awful shooting in a Texas elementary school," Zelenskiy said as he addressed an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos via video link.
"As far as I know, 21 people were killed, including 19 children. This is terrible, to have victims of shooters in peaceful time," he added.
Pope Francis added his thoughts during his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square in Rome and said he was "heartbroken" by the shooting. The Pope called for greater controls on weapons.
U.S.President Joe Biden in a speech to the nation shortly after the attack, called for new gun restrictions.
"As a nation we have to ask, when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? When in God's name are we going to do what has to be done?" Biden asked. "Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"