President Biden writes letter to Uvalde residents ahead of anniversary of Robb Elementary School shooting

SAN ANTONIO – On the eve of the second anniversary of the Robb Elementary School shooting, President Joe Biden wrote a letter to the residents of Uvalde.

“To the families of the victims: I know that even years later, there are days when it feels like you got the news just yesterday,” Biden wrote. “While there are no words that can ease the pain you still feel, I pray that you find comfort in reflecting on their memories and what they meant.”

After he and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Uvalde following the shooting, which left 19 students and two teachers dead, Biden said the victims' families were calling on lawmakers to act.

On June 24, 2022, two months after the shooting, Congress voted to pass anti-gun violence legislation. Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act the next day.

The law provides stricter protections for young adults between the ages of 18 and 20 who want to buy guns. The law now also requires a check of the buyer's local youth registry.

“For the first time in three decades, with the help of so many from Uvalde, we have overcome the relentless opposition of the gun lobby, gun manufacturers and politicians to common sense gun laws,” Biden continued. “With this bill, my administration is closing dangerous loopholes and implementing the most significant expansion of gun background checks in decades.”

In September 2023, Biden introduced the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris. The goal of the office is to reduce gun violence and expand legislative measures such as the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act, the White House said on the office's website.

White House officials said that Deputy Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Robert Wilcox is expected to join Uvalde residents in a vigil honoring the victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary School.

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