SALT LAKE CITY — In a news release issued Tuesday evening, Gov. Spencer Cox authorized the lowering of the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of Utah on all state facilities in accordance with President Joe Biden’s proclamation honoring the victims who were killed Tuesday during a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Flags should be lowered to the half-staff position immediately and return to full-staff at sunset on Saturday, the news release states.
The president’s statement can be found at this link.
Gov. Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson expressed their condolences to those affected by the shooting in a joint statement in the news release:
We are absolutely devastated to learn about the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. It’s hard to imagine a more heinous crime, and we pray for the students, educators, families, law enforcement officers, and everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence. Even as we mourn for the victims, we urge parents and students to download the SAFEUT app and to say something if you see warning signs.
Sen. Mitt Romney also responded to the Texas shooting in a Tweet from his personal account.
“Grief overwhelms the soul. Children slaughtered. Lives extinguished. Parents’ hearts wrenched. Incomprehensible,” he wrote. “I offer prayer and condolence but know that it is grossly inadequate. We must find answers.”
According to an article published in the New York Times, at least 19 children and two teachers were killed in the shooting on Tuesday. And this shooting is the deadliest school shooting since the one that occurred in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
Authorities say the gunman also died at the scene and was identified as an 18-year-old resident of the same county, according to the article.