More than 700 people shot dead in the US since the Texas school shooting

Kieran Galpin

There were no shootings in only seven states

Since the horrific Texas school shooting on May 24, there have been 700 additional gun killings in 43 of the 50 US states.

Following the fatal school shooting which took place in Uvalde late last month, the US has seen 730 gun deaths across 650 incidents. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, 23 of those who died were children and 66 were teenagers.

As Republican lawmakers double down on the second amendment, Democrat leaders take aim at their right-wing counterparts. An upcoming hearing from the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee will hear testimony from parents and survivors of the Uvalde mass shooting.

Entitled “The Urgent Need to Address the Gun Violence Epidemic”, lawmakers will hear the story of 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo who was forced to smeared the blood of a dead friend on her face in order to survive a shooting incident.

Actor Matthew McConaughey, 52, made an impassioned plea for gun control on a visit to the White House on Tuesday, June 7. In a 22-minute speech, the Magic Mike star said: “We are in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before. A window where it seems like real change can happen.”

Uvalde, Texas native Matthew McConaughey shows the art of 10-year-old victim of Robb Elementary School shooting Alithia Ramirez. pic.twitter.com/ribvvXarzc

— The Recount (@therecount) June 7, 2022

He continued: “Uvalde, Texas, is where I was born. It’s where my mom taught kindergarten less than a mile from Robb Elementary.

“Uvalde is where I learned to master a Daisy BB gun. I took that — that took two years before I graduated to a 410 shotgun. Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun. Uvalde is where I learned responsible gun ownership.”

Camila Alves McConaughey, wife of actor Matthew McConaughey, holds a pair of shoes worn by one of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, as her husband makes a passionate plea for gun reform at White House press briefing. https://t.co/dixXUpJH94 pic.twitter.com/KnQwp1nnYi

— ABC News (@ABC) June 7, 2022

However unlike other commentaries from gun owners, McConaughey did not double down on his right to bear arms.

“So where do we start? We start by making the right choices on the issue that is in front of us today,” he explained.

“We start by giving Makenna, Layla, Maranda, Nevaeh, Jose, Xavier, Tess, Rojelio, Eliahna, Annabell, Jackie, Uziyah, Jayce, Jailah, Eva, Amerie, and Lexi — we start by giving all of them our promise that their dreams are not going to be forgotten.”