Reese Witherspoon broke her silence on Tuesday for the first time since announcing her divorce from Jim Toth to share an emotional message about the school shooting in her hometown of Nashville.
On Monday, three staff members and three children were killed at the Covenant School by a 28-year-old former student, who was later fatally shot by police. The victims have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age nine, along with Mike Hill, 61, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60.
Expressing her sadness over the incident, Reese took to social media to share a photo of the victims' names written in colorful chalk on a pavement, alongside a heartfelt message.
"My heart is broken for my hometown of Nashville and all the families dealing with unspeakable loss of their beloved children and teachers at Covenant School," she wrote.
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"The senseless violence that these kids and educators witnessed is unbearable. Our whole city is grieving."
The Walk the Line actress added: "I'm donating to @MomsDemand and @Everytown in all their names to help advocate for necessary gun control laws. Something has to change in this country. Our children & communities deserve better."
Following the tragic incident, Police Chief John Drake told reporters authorities were working on a theory about what may have led to the shooting and would "put that out as soon as we can."
He added that the suspect had no known prior criminal history. Police said they did not believe any of the victims had been specifically targeted.
President Joe Biden also shared his reaction to another school shooting as he urged the U.S. Congress again to pass tougher gun reform legislation, including a ban on assault-style weapons.
"It's sick," Biden said, addressing the issue during an event at the White House. "We have to do more to stop gun violence. It's ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation."
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