Texas elementary school shooting: Coach Steve Kerr gets emotional discussing shooting

Golden State Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr called on politicians to end gun violence Tuesday following the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.

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Kerr, whose team was getting ready to play Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, told a group of reporters that he would not be talking about basketball during the news conference. Nineteen children and two adults were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

“Since we left shootaround, 14 children (and a teacher) were killed 400 miles from here and in the last 10 days we’ve had elderly Black people killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, we’ve had Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California, and now we have children murdered at school,” the coach stated.

“When are we going to do something?!” Kerr shouted, as he pounded the table.

“I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m so tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”

Kerr has firsthand experience of gun violence. His father, Malcolm Kerr, was shot and killed by gunmen when he was serving as president of the American University of Beirut.

Kerr also called on politicians to pass the Background Checks Act of 2021 that would enhance background checks for those purchasing firearms.

“There’s 50 senators right now who refuse to vote on HR-8 (Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021), which is a background check rule that the House passed a couple of years ago. It’s been sitting there for two years,” Kerr said. “There’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold onto power.

“So, I ask you, Mitch McConnell, I ask all you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence and school shootings and supermarket shootings.

“I ask you, are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly, and our churchgoers? Because that’s what it looks like.”