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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jamie Roberts

Matthew McConaughey urges gun reform in the US to honour Texas shooting victims

Matthew McConaughey has spoken passionately about the need for gun reform stateside as he joined the White House press briefing on Tuesday.

The actor urged politicians on both sides to act after the tragic shooting of students in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, which saw 19 elementary students and two teachers killed.

He told the room that the best way to honour the lives of those who died in the tragedy was to make a difference to the country's safety.

He spoke about how he and wife Camila had spent a lot of time speaking with the victims' families and urged those in power to make a positive change for the country's future.

The Hollywood star said: "How can these families continue to honour these deaths? By keeping the dreams of these children and teachers alive.

Matthew McConaughey holds up artwork by one of the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde (Getty Images)

"While we honour and acknowledge the victims, we need to recognise that this time something seems different.

"There is a sense that perhaps there is a viable path forward."

He added that people seemingly were ready to sit and discuss a change going forward and said something "might get done".

The actor's speech is the latest in his bid to get his point across publicly. Hours after the attack, he took to social media to plead for gun reform in a length statement.

It began: "Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us.

"The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look into the mirror, and ask ourselves, 'What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state, and neighbourhood tomorrow?'

"We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo."

He labelled the spate of shootings the country is going through as an "epidemic" but insisted they can control it so long as they "do better".

Matthew McConaughey talks to reporters during the daily news conference at the White House (Getty Images)

He added: "Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured."

He then concluded with an emotional message to those directly affected: "And to those who dropped off their loved ones today not knowing it was goodbye, no words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming."

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