Matthew McConaughey Devastated Over School Shooting In His Hometown: ‘We Must Do Better’
Matthew McConaughey hails from the town where at least 21 people were killed at an elementary school on May 24. See his statement about the tragedy here.
Tragedy struck Matthew McConaughey’s Texas hometown, Ulvade, on May 24, when at least 19 children and two adults were killed by a gunman. Matthew took to Instagram on the evening of May 24 to share his thoughts about the senseless tragedy. In his post, the actor did not explicitly reference gun control laws, but he did seem to advocate for some sort of reform to prevent something like this from happening in the future.
“The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrificeis can we individually take today to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state and neighborhood tomorrow?’ We cannot exhale once again, make excuses and accept these tragic realities as the status quo,” he wrote.
Matthew urged “Americans, Texas, mothers and fathers” to “re-evaluate and renegotiate” their wants from their needs. “We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastating American reality that has tragically become our children’s issue,” he continued. “This is an epidemic we can control and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better.”
He explicitly stated that “action must be taken,” although he did not specify what he wants that acton to be. Matthew concluded his message with a touching note to the loved ones of the victims, adding, “No words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming.”
The shooter, an 18-year-old man, is dead after reportedly being killed by police on the scene. It is believed that the shooter acted alone, using a handgun and possibly a rifle. Our thought are with the families of the victims of this horrific tragedy.