Nineteen children and two teachers were killed Tuesday afternoon in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, a town of about 16,000 people, west of San Antonio.
The gunman, an 18-year-old, was shot and killed by police.
In light of the shooting, blood donation centers and online fundraisers to help families of the victims have seen an outpouring of support.
Here’s how you can help:
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Monetary Donations & Fundraisers
GoFundMe created a page specifically for the Uvalde shooting with a collection of online fundraisers to help victims and their families.
One of the fundraisers had raised more than $1.8 million as of Wednesday evening. The fundraiser was created by Victims First, a nonprofit for victims of mass casualty events.
“The funds collected will go to the families in cash payments with no strings attached, thereby fulfilling the full intent of the donors,” the campaign said.
Several other online fundraisers for individual victims of the shooting can be found here.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, which oversees Robb Elementary School, has set up a fund at the First State Bank.
The money will go to families of victims and those affected by the shooting. Donations can be made in-person or via check.
The district said checks should be mailed to 200 E Nopal Street in Uvalde, Texas, and be made payable to the Robb School Memorial Fund.
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country Inc. has set up a Uvalde Strong Fund to support victims, their families and others affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting.
The charitable foundation serving Uvalde County says grants will be directed to aid families, nonprofits providing essential response services, medical institutions caring for victims and organizations conducting long-term efforts in the Uvalde community.
All donations made via the website or by calling 830-896-8811 or emailing uvaldestrong@communityfoundation.net will be tax-deductible.
University Health has also set up a relief fund, which can be found here.
The League of United Latin American Citizens is raising money for victims’ families, saying in a statement that all of the proceeds will go directly to those in need.
To donate, click here.
LULAC is the oldest Hispanic organization in the U.S, helping advance civil, economic and educational rights of Hispanic Americans.
Blood Donations
In addition to monetary donations, University Health and South Texas Blood & Tissue are accepting blood donations for hospitals in the Uvalde area.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, South Texas Blood & Tissue was booked for blood donations through Saturday and had seen 600 donors.
Appointments are still available on Memorial Day, according to the blood center.
The organization is also encouraging donors to reach out to their own local blood centers.
“As we enter a long holiday weekend and the beginning of the summer travel season, our community and others across the country are facing a historic need for blood.”
University Health said the hospital has been “flooded” with calls and appointments from those wanting to donate.
Legal Assistance
The San Antonio Legal Services Association is looking for volunteer attorneys to assist families and victims in the shooting in need of help.
The organization says they will provide free legal services for those affected in Uvalde.
