Meghan Markle visited Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday to pay respect to the students and teachers who lost their lives when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday. Markle was captured in photos as she placed white flowers with a purple ribbon at a memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse, People reports. The Duchess of Sussex also took a knee and bowed her head in front of a cross honoring 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, one of the many children who died in the shooting.
The Duchess of Sussex has laid flowers at a memorial for the 19 children and two teachers killed in a school shooting in Texas pic.twitter.com/7gOWgOu5uJ
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Dressed in jeans, sneakers and a baseball cap, Markle crossed her arms while walking around and gazing at the memorials. A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said Markle took the trip in a personal capacity as a mother, offering her condolences and support in person to a community dealing with a horrifying tragedy.
Markle and Prince Harry, who live in California with their two children, have a reputation for reaching out to communities during difficult times. In 2019, the couple paid tribute to a community in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a gunman opened fire on two mosques, killing 50 people and injuring others.
“Our deepest condolences. We are with you,” the pair said while leaving flowers outside the New Zealand House in London along with a note.
Markle and Harry also continue to uplift communities through their Archewell Foundation. The couple launched the organization in 2020 to help those struggling to survive during the pandemic. The Archewell Foundation is also part of the couple’s effort to stand up for social justice.
As Blavity previously reported, Salvador Ramos allegedly shot his grandmother on Tuesday before he took her truck and entered Robb Elementary with a rifle, killing two teachers and 19 students.
