American television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday's episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' has passionately addressed the recent Texas school shooting.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, he began his monologue in a mournful and resigned manner by saying, "Here we are again, on another day of mourning in this country."
This was the first time he addressed the tragedy as Tuesday's show had already been taped before news broke of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that saw an 18-year-old gunman murder 19 children and two adults, reported the outlet.
Kimmel addressed the camera directly without a studio audience as he appeared visibly shaken by sorrow and anger.
The show's host struggled to compose himself, and he teared up when he spoke of "the little boys and girls whose lives have been ended and whose families have been destroyed."
Kimmel also spoke about most Americans supporting "keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and children," citing polls that support "common-sense gun laws."
He further appealed directly to Texas pro-gun Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. John Cornyn to consider gun control laws, citing successful examples from abroad such as the U.K. and Australia, which both enacted stricter measures after mass shootings. "This is the only country where this keeps happening," the host said.
"If you care about this...we need to make sure that we do everything we can, that unless they do something drastic let's make sure that not [one of these] politicians ever holds office again," he concluded, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
The outlet has stated that the shooting has left at least 19 children and two adults dead and has been considered the deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.
( With inputs from ANI )
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