Madonna has weighed in with her thoughts of the devastating Texas school shooting, that left 21 people killed, by sharing a haunting video with an impassioned lengthy caption.
One day after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos went on a rampage and opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the 63-year-old pop megastar is the latest high-profile person to speak out against gun violence and in favour of more gun safety laws.
Before being taken down and killed by law enforcement, the lone gunman shot and killed 19 young children and two teachers, and wounded 17 others, in what's the third-deadliest school shooting in the US after the massacres at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012.
"I cannot imagine the heartache and heartbreak the parents of these 19 Children must feel,' Madonna began in her lengthy caption, alongside a clip of her tearing up in her music video for God Control, which is off her Madame X album (2019).
"Before being taken down and killed by law enforcement, the lone gunman shot and killed 19 young children, two teachers and wounded 17 others, in what's the third-deadliest school shooting in the U.S. after the massacres at Virginia Tech in 2007 and Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012.
She also has a daughter Lourdes, 25, who she shares with ex-Carlos Leon, and a son Rocco, 21, from her marriage to ex-husband Guy Ritchie.
In continuing her emotional plea, the the Like A Prayer star questioned how an 18-year-old boy 'can purchase 2 automatic Rifles on his birthday with no background check, no safety training, no questions asked?????'
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The Michigan native went on to reveal the warnings the shooter posted on social media about his plans to 'shoot his grandmother and students in a school.'
With her anguish and anger coming through, she added, 'The NRA refuses to change its position and legislation cannot get one bill passed that requires tougher fire arm safety laws. In spite of the fact that there have been more gun deaths in America than there are days in this year. How is this possible???'
Madonna then demanded that we 'protect our children' and 'reduce firearm access to people who are at risk of harming themselves or others.'
'We need to Insist on mandatory training for gun owners, the same way we require people to study and pass a test to get a drivers license,' the seven-time Grammy winner explained, adding, 'A car is a Potential weapon if not used properly. So is a Gun!!! Hasn't anyone Drawn this correlation? If we Cant change the constitution we must Beg Law makers to pass Gun Reform NOW!!'
She ended her plea: 'How tragic is it that we have to Beg to keep all children — All humans Safe from Gun Violence?? No more words action only.'
The video, which shows a choir singing and number of caskets, ends: 'Haven't we had enough???,'which is then followed by photos of the latest young victims and images of Madonna taking off her glasses as tears flow down her cheeks.
It concludes with Madonna almost whispering, 'Wake up' as each letter is typed out on screen.
God Control is a 2019 track about gun control and the US political climate written by Madonna and longtime collaborator Mirwais, and American musician Casey Spooner.
The song features the Tiffin Children's Chorus repeating 'We lost god control' all throughout while Madonna's lyrics include: 'Everybody knows the damn truth/Our nation lied, we lost respect/When we wake up, what can we do?'
The full music video, originally released in 2019, features interspersed footage of Madonna as her alter ego Madame X with scenes of a nightclub where a shooting takes place.
At the time of its release, the graphic video was criticised by some, including a mass shooting survivor, as 'insensitive', due to its striking resemblance to the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Florida.
This week's Uvalde, Texas shooting began when Ramos reportedly shot his grandmother before heading to the elementary school. At last check, she was hospitalized in critical condition, according to CNN.
Some of the many celebrities to come forward and demand improved gun safety laws and training include the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, LeBron James.
The Texas school massacre came just 10 days after police say an 18-year-old self-declared white supremacist opened fire and killed 10 people in a Buffalo, New York supermarket, where he reportedly went to specifically target and murder Black shoppers.
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