New information tonight about the
Texas school shooting that took the
lives of 19 children and two teachers.
Good evening and thank you for
joining us. I'm Carla chiquito.
I'm Marcela Lee.
This comes as many lawmakers and
President Biden are pleading
for new gun restrictions today.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said 18
year old Salvador Ramos posted on
Facebook before shooting his grandmother.
He then went to Rob Elementary School
in Ivaldi, where he barged into a fourth
grade classroom with an AR15 style.
Assault rifle,
that's where police say Ramos killed
19 children and two teachers.
There has been no criminal
history identified yet.
He may have had a juvenile record.
But that is yet to be determined.
There was no known mental health history.
Tonight all the families have been
notified of their loss here in San Diego.
A vigil is taking place at Waterfront Park.
CBS 8 Kirsten Holmes is live there tonight
with what's ahead and what action leaders,
here say need to be taken herstein.
Hey there Carlo.
I am here like you said at Waterfront Park.
I want you to take a look behind me.
It's pretty quiet right now.
Just a few families enjoying the day.
But that vigil is going to
take place tonight at 7:30.
If you're interested in coming out.
And organizers say,
bring candles and a mask.
CBS8 reached out to local
elected officials in our area
about yesterday's tragedy.
We want you to take a listen
to what they had to say.
What words do you use like?
It's it's maddeningly it's,
it's horrific, it it.
It makes me angry
that San Diego County supervisor
Nathan Fletcher, reacting to
Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, TX.
All of those parents who dropped their
kids off for 4th grade to celebrate the
last week of school and their children
are gone because the only nation in the world
who has gun violence at this level
is the one who acts like well,
there's nothing we can do about
it. And that's nonsense.
We're on top of this, but what we
know is it just takes one person.
Mayor Todd Gloria says San Diego
is already ahead of the curve
when it comes to gun safety.
We have one of the leading
ordinances against Ghost Guns,
which is a huge driver between
the uptick and gun violence that
we've seen all across the country.
But Gloria says more can be done,
but it would certainly be far safer
if we had some of the national
action around background checks,
red flag laws, assault weapons bans,
things that we've done
previously and shown work.
CBS 8 reached out to several locally
elected officials to get their reaction.
On Tuesdays, elementary school shooting.
San Diego County Vice Chair Nora Vargas
shared a statement that says quote,
we need public officials who have the
backbone to do what is right and pass
legislation that would enhance background
checks and help reduce gun violence.
Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs tweeted,
I am heartbroken for the children
who won't go home to their families
tonight and for the Ivaldi community
that will never be the same.
Congressman Darrell Issa retweeted Texas
Governor Greg Abbott and said our thoughts
and prayers are with these families.
County supervisor Nathan Fletcher
says focusing on mental health.
And sentiments of thoughts
and prayers are not enough.
It's a complete copout.
It is a complete distraction.
Yes, mental health is an issue
and address mental health.
But every country in the world has the
same level of mental illness as the
United States but no country in the
world has the level of gun violence
associated with mental illness.
As the United States of America.
And no matter what side of the aisle
they're on, there was lots of emotion,
anger, and frustration from
our local elected officials.
Again, that vigil is going to
take place here tonight at 7:30.
This is waterfront Park and downtown
and reporting live for CBS eight.
I'm Kirsten Holmes.
Back to you, Kirsten.
Still about an hour and a
half before that vigil begins,
a waterfront park, a large space.
Do we know how many people organizers
are expecting and if families at
home people are watching right now?
There's still time
to go down.
Yeah, there definitely is still
time to make it out here again,
if you are familiar with the
downtown area or waterfront park,
it is a very large park,
so possibly hundreds of people
could be right here all standing
in solidarity with those that mourn
today all across the country,
especially in Texas.
All right thanks so much, Kirsten.