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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Alahna Kindred

Harry and Meghan's foundation builds playground 'to honour lives lost' in mass shooting

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's foundation has built a playground in Uvalde, Texas four months after a mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.

The Archwell Foundation joined forces with other charities to launch the DeLeon project to "provide a sense of hope" after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos went on a rampage at Robb Elementary School in May.

Shortly after the shooting, the Duchess of Sussex went to Uvalde where she laid flowers down for the victims of the shooting.

Omid Scobie tweeted a photo of the new park and wrote that the project was to "foster a sense of togetherness and healing and honour lives lost".

He shared a photo of children using the new playground and quoted James Holt, director of the Archewell Foundation, who said: "Our hope is that this special project can help the community heal, and be home to imagination, games and play for many years to come."

The Archwell Foundation, The City of Uvalde and nonprofit Kaboom were the three organisations that came together to build the playground

Following the shooting that horrified the nation, Meghan Markle visited the town where she laid flowers at the memorial site.

The Duchess of Sussex was pictured by the tributes outside Uvalde County Courthouse - not far from Robb Elementary School.

Meghan Markle outside the courthouse in Uvalde, Texas in May (AFP via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the Duchess said she went to the scene of the Texas school shooting in Uvalde in a "personal capacity as a mother" as she wanted to offer her condolences and support in person.

Meghan's appearance in the small community, roughly 80 miles west of San Antonio, was unannounced and came as a surprise to the grieving town.

She was dressed incognito in a simple T-shirt, jeans and baseball cap.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's foundation helped build a playground in the Uvalde community (Getty Images)

The memorial, overlooking a pond, consists of a series of crosses with tags bearing the names of those who were killed.

The Uvalde shooting is the deadliest attack of its kind since 20 elementary-age children and six staff were killed at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.

Earlier this month, t he entire school district police force in Texas has been suspended for their failed response to the Uvalde school shooting.

Questions have been asked of the police response to the Uvalde shooting, as armed police waited 58 minutes before entering the classroom where the massacre took place.

There has also been outrage at the length of time it took for police to challenge Ramos, who they eventually shot dead.

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