Wisconsin Officials React After 19 Children Killed In Texas School

WISCONSIN — Wisconsin political and school leaders are reacting after a gunman shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old gunman wore a tactical vest and barricaded himself in a classroom at the school as he opened fire on children, Lt. Chris Olivarez, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson, said in an appearance on NBC's "The Today Show" on Wednesday morning.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was quick to react to the news on Twitter Tuesday, calling it a "maddening and horrific act of gun violence."

"We cannot accept that gun violence just happens. We cannot accept that kids might go to school and never come home," Evers statement said. "We cannot accept the outright refusal of elected officials to act."

On Wednesday, Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly released a statement entitled "we must protect our children."

Underly described keeping students safe as "the most foundational value we hold as educators."

"Kids need to be safe in their schools. Educators need to be safe in their schools. Parents and families trust schools to keep their children safe. And right now, they are not safe," Underly said.

"Educators cannot keep children safe without the rest of us holding our leaders accountable to more than thoughts and prayers; we must hold them accountable for real policy change and significant reform of our gun laws. But as a society, we have enabled a culture where gun violence is accepted. We’ve allowed pro-gun organizations to hold elected officials hostage and dictate our gun and safety laws, usurping the will of the citizens of the United States who elect individuals into office to protect our best interests. This must change," read Underly's statement.

RELATED: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson tweeted "It does not get worse than this. My sincere condolences to the families of Robb Elementary. There are no words to describe this horror."

The deadly shooting also sparked a reaction from Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley.

"These incidents have become far too commonplace, and my hope is that we find a solution that ends senseless gun violence of all forms," Posely said in a statement.

Screams were heard Tuesday evening outside of a local civic center near Uvalde Tuesday, as families learned their child was among those killed.

Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes said "my heart is breaking for Texas" in a statement.

"No one should be afraid to send their kids to school. No one should be afraid to go to work. This is devastating and it shouldn't take loss like this to pass common sense gun legislation. This shouldn't have happened in the first place," Barnes said via Twitter.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement on Twitter "We know what can make these horrific incidents less likely to happen. We must not only hope but demand that this time will be different. We need to do more to keep our kids safe from gun violence."

RELATED: Texas School Shooting: Gunman Killed 19 Kids, 2 Teachers In Same Class

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said her "heart breaks, again. A mass shooting at a school, again."

"How many more times will we say again...and accept doing nothing? We have got to step up, take on this public health crisis, and start saving lives," Baldwin said in a statement posted to Twitter.

The gunman, who Texas Gov. Greg Abbott identified as Salvador Ramos, used a rifle in the attack on Robb Elementary School, Olivarez said. Police shot and killed the shooter in another exchange of gunfire, according to Olivarez.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said "Schools ought to be our safest places," in a statement posted to Twitter.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

Jeffrey Perkins, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.