Uvalde Shooting: Anne Arundel Dems Urge Action, AACPS Boosts Security

Annapolis MD

25 May, 2022

7:27 PM

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UVALDE, TX — Anne Arundel County Democrats called for action after Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Schools boosted their security. Local Republicans offered their condolences and prayers, but they did not outline a plan to combat mass shootings. "What can we do to prevent this from ever happening again?" Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said on Facebook. "We must ask that question, and we must be brave enough to act on the answers, even when it's politically difficult to do so." RELATED: Texas School Shooting: Gunman Killed 19 Kids, 2 Teachers In Same Class The shooting at Robb Elementary School killed 19 students and two teachers, officials said. Authorities identified the suspect as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos of Uvalde. Police eventually shot and killed Ramos, the Associated Press reported. RELATED: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims Pittman said Texas will experience the same grief that Maryland felt when a gunman killed five newspaper employees at the Capital Gazette on June 28, 2018. Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley agrees. "I know these events are particularly hard on Annapolis," Buckley said in a press release. "As we approach the anniversary of the Capital Gazette murders, many have Rob [Hiaasen], Gerald [Fischman], Wendi [Winters], John [McNamara] and Rebecca [Smith] on their minds and the survivors in their hearts. Each mass shooting is a painful reminder of the innocence we lost four years ago." The Anne Arundel County Police Department is raising its presence around local schools in the coming days. "This is a measure being taken to help relieve anxiety many families, students, and staff are likely feeling," Anne Arundel County Public Schools said on Facebook. "To be clear, there have been no specific threats against schools." Republican County Council members Nathan Volke (District 3) and Amanda Fiedler (District 5) had not posted about the shooting on Facebook by the time of publication. District 7 council member Jessica Haire was the only Republican on the council to post publicly about the shooting. Haire reshared the police department's post announcing its increased school security. The county executive candidate did not offer any comments on Facebook, however. Herb McMillan, another Republican running for county executive, said the losses of students and teachers are great tragedies. "Uvalde Elementary School and this community are suffering from a horrendance disaster," McMillan said on Facebook. "To all the families, friends and the community - God intends to walk with you through your suffering, grow you in your suffering, and deliver you from it. God Bless." Republican Gov. Larry Hogan also asked Marylanders to send prayers. He mentioned that the Maryland State Police and the Maryland Department of Emergency Management offered their full support and assistance to officials in Texas. "Schools should never be a place of fear," Hogan said on Facebook. "No mom or dad should ever have to worry when they send their kids off to school whether they'll come home safely." A task force submitted a report in 2020 to suggest how to combat gun violence in Anne Arundel County. That report, which is posted here, recommended passing more gun safety legislation and declaring gun violence a public health crisis. The Anne Arundel County Department of Health and the Gun Violence Intervention Team are implementing some of this advice. The groups will host a public meeting on June 2 to discuss the path forward. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library, located at 1410 West Street. "Join our effort to stop this madness, to treat the people who should not be armed, and to prevent some people from being armed," Pittman said. The county executive signed legislation earlier this year that requires gun dealers to distribute literature to all buyers of guns and ammunition. The pamphlets cover gun safety, mental health and conflict resolution. Soon after, four gun dealers filed a federal lawsuit against the county. The coalition alleged that the literature violates their freedom of speech rights guaranteed by the first amendment. RELATED: 4 Anne Arundel Gun Dealers Sue County Over New Ordinance Have a story idea? Please contact me at [email protected] with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County news.