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Ted Cruz, who is to speak at NRA forum on Friday, slammed for offering hollow prayers after Uvalde massacre

Democrats and gun control groups slammed Ted Cruz after he called for more armed law enforcement in schools rather than gun reforms

Texas Senator Ted Cruz is facing backlash over his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday, May 24. Democrats and gun control groups among others slammed Cruz after he called for more armed law enforcement on school campuses following Tuesday's shooting to prevent such incidents instead of gun control reforms, while offering prayers for the victims and their families.

The mass shooting took place on Tuesday, May 24 at 11:32 local time. The gunman killed 19 children and two adults. Many of the wounded were rushed to Uvalde Memorial Hospital, where staff members in scrubs and devastated victims’ relatives could be seen weeping as they walked out of the hospital.

The 18-year-old suspect, whom Texas Governor Greg Abbott named as Salvador Ramos, had a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines, investigators say. The teenager is suspected of shooting his grandmother before the rampage. He was killed by responding law enforcement.

The attack came just 10 days after a deadly, racist rampage at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that added to a yearslong series of mass killings at churches, schools, and stores. President Joe Biden appeared ready for a fight, calling for new gun restrictions in an address to the nation hours after the attack.

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After the massacre, Cruz tweeted about the incident and offered prayers for the victims and their families. He wrote, "Heidi & I are fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde. We are in close contact with local officials, but the precise details are still unfolding. Thank you to heroic law enforcement & first responders for acting so swiftly."

"When there's a murderer of this kind, you see politicians try to politicize it, you see Democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try to restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens," Cruz said, per Jessica Dean, CNN correspondent.

"We are seeing way too many of these horrific mass murders. And we need to devote far more law enforcement resources to stopping violent criminals and preventing these kinds of absolute acts of evil," added Cruz, who's scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting later this week.

Cruz's tweet triggered an intense backlash and debate on Twitter on gun reforms. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote, "Aren’t you slated to headline a speaking gig for the NRA in three days - in Houston, no less? You can do more than pray. Faith without works is dead."

Ruben Gallego (D-Az) wrote, "Fuck you @tedcruz you care about a fetus but you will let our children get slaughtered. Just get your ass to Cancun. You are useless." She further tweeted, "Just to be clear fuck you @tedcruz you fucking baby killer."

Gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action's founder Shannon Watts responded to Cruz's tweet and wrote, "Fervently lifting Uvalde up in prayer while refusing to do a goddamned thing to stop gun violence is why this keeps happening, especially in Texas. In fact @SenTedCruz has been spreading gun lobby lies about the ATF director nominee while trying to stop a federal ghost guns ban."

"After 16 people were killed in a hot air balloon in Lockhart, Texas, Ted Cruz authored and passed federal legislation improving safety rules. But after the shootings in El Paso and Santa Fe, he blamed mental illness for gun violence. Thank God there's no hot air balloon lobby," she added.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adviser Kurt Bardella tweeted, "Ted Cruz received $300k from the pro-gun crowd so take your prayers and shove them up your ass. Your acceptance of this blood money tells us how much your prayers are worth."

Giffords, a gun-control advocacy group led by former Rep Gabby Giffords, criticized Cruz and wrote, "Uvalde—15 killed, El Paso—23 killed, Midland-Odessa—7 killed, Santa Fe High School—10 killed. Texas has seen tragedy after tragedy, but Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have done the unforgivable: block even the most commonsense gun reform at every turn."