Late-night TV hosts addressed the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday night.
19 students and 3 adults were killed in the horrific attack at Robb Elementary School. The shooter has also died.
Stephen Colbert said on “The Late Show”: “Shortly before I came out here tonight, we learned of the unspeakable shooting in Uvalde, Texas, today. And while we can add our prayers for the dead, there is nothing that could ever be said that can approach the immeasurable grief of those families.
“But while we’re at it, let’s pray this time our leaders show a modicum of courage in trying to prevent this from ever happening again.”
The host, getting emotional, continued, “Prayers won’t end this, voting might. So when you vote, ask yourself this question: Who running for office has publicly stated that they’re willing to do anything and everything in their power to protect your children from the criminally insane number of guns in America?”
James Corden also spoke about the shooting from a mostly dark “Late Late Show” studio.
The host shared, “I don’t know what has to happen to change things here. I am constantly shocked by the number of people who must think that this is an okay byproduct to never make meaningful changes to gun laws. And it doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t reflect the country that I think America is.”
Corden called the U.S. “one of the most backward places in the world” when it comes to gun laws, pointing out that there have been no school shootings in England, Japan, or Australia so far this year.
However, there have been 27 school shootings and 212 mass shootings in the U.S. already in 2022 alone.
Corden went on: “Nothing will change. Gun money will continue to get in the way of morality. So, just as I stood here in this studio last week and I talked about a mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, today, heartbreakingly, it is an elementary school in Texas. And I’ll probably be stood here talking again in another week or two about another place.
“Words of thoughts and prayers will come from our leaders, but I fear change never will,” Corden said. “I hold out hope that this country will eventually wake up and change this senseless gun culture, while my heart simply goes out to everyone in Texas tonight.”
Jimmy Kimmel recorded his monologue before news of the shooting was reported. He took to Twitter to post:
…but you can't have a beer until you're 21. Please support @MomsDemand and @Everytown – AND VOTE THESE MONSTERS WHO DO NOTHING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN OUT OF OFFICE https://t.co/6NTH2kOsMV
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 24, 2022
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also addressed the shooting on “The Late Show”, outlining what her country’s government did to enact sensible gun control after a terrible mass shooting in Christchurch:
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” airs weekdays at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on Global.
