Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined several U.S. politicians in saying a prayer for the victims of a school shooting last Friday, May 18. Ten people died and 13 were seriously wounded when 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis open fired at his schoolmates during an art class at Santa Fe High School.
Police arrested and took the shooter in custody but his motives remain unclear. The governor immediately issued a directive asking that flags statewide must be lowered at half-staff until Tuesday evening.
"We look to God to give the first responders as well as the victims and their families the guidance they need in the coming days and weeks as we work to continue to get to the bottom of what happened," Abbot said during his press conference to confirm the arrest of the shooter. "We need to do more than just pray for the victims and their families".
Senator Ted Cruz also spoke at the press conference and asked the community to come together and pray for each other. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence also offered their sympathies on their social media accounts to the victims and their families.
But as the leaders call others to pray, Houston's police chief Art Acevedo has lambasted politicians for their inaction on gun control. He said in a post on Facebook, "It's a time for prayers, action and the asking of God's forgiveness for our inaction, especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing."
Abbot, however, recently said that he doesn't believe in changing the laws to curtail the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. In his speech at the National Rifle Association convention, Abbot declared that the real problem of gun violence is in people who do not have God in their hearts.
