Justin Trudeau Calls The Texas School Shooting 'Horrific' & Says His 'Heart Breaks'

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In response to the recent Texas school shooting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement saying that his "heart breaks" for those affected by the "horrific" event.

The shooting happened in the Texas town of Uvalde, which is roughly 130 kilometres west of San Antonio, at Robb Elementary School, at around 11:32 a.m. local time on May 24.

In what the police called a "mass casualty" shooting, at least 19 children and two adults were killed by a lone gunman, per The New York Times.

The victims are believed to be children in the second, third and fourth grades.

First reports had the casualties at 14 children and one teacher, but that number has since gone up.

The suspect, who was apparently killed by police on the scene, was an 18-year-old armed with multiple weapons who reportedly attended a local high school.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Trudeau said, "My heart breaks for everyone affected by the horrific shooting in Texas."

"I'm thinking of the parents, the families, the friends, the classmates, and the coworkers whose lives have been forever changed," he continued.

"Canadians are mourning with you, and are here for you."

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also spoke about the shooting and said that "children deserve more than thoughts and prayers."

"They deserve protection and safety," Singh said. "They deserve life."

In a public address, U.S. President Joe Biden called the shooting "a massacre" and said it's "wrong" that an 18-year-old can buy "assault weapons."

"As a nation, we have to ask when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?"

"I am sick and tired of it," said Biden. "We need to act."