Olivia Rodrigo took some time out of her Los Angeles performance on Tuesday night to address the school shooting that occurred earlier in the day in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers.
“I wish we would never have to worry about our safety or our lives at places that are dedicated to our learning and growing,” Rodrigo said at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
She proceeded to call for “stricter gun control laws” to a chorus of cheers.
Olivia Rodrigo says she’s “devastated” about the massacre of 18 children at a Texas school today.
“I’m so heartbroken that this is the reality that we’re living in. And we need stronger gun control in America.” pic.twitter.com/lKnTGZdB8k
— Tomás Mier (@Tomas_Mier) May 25, 2022
Rodrigo is the latest public figure to voice her stance on the shooting. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr went viral after making a spirited speech during a pre-game press conference. Kerr voiced his anger and frustration for the devastating impacts of mass shootings in a video that was shared and retweeted by celebrities like Taylor Swift.
“In the last 10 days we’ve had elderly Black people killed in a supermarket in Buffalo,” Kerr said. “We’ve had Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California, and now we have children murdered at school.”
Filled with rage and grief, and so broken by the murders in Uvalde. By Buffalo, Laguna Woods and so many others. By the ways in which we, as a nation, have become conditioned to unfathomable and unbearable heartbreak. Steve’s words ring so true and cut so deep. https://t.co/Rb5uwSTxty
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 25, 2022
This is not the first time Rodrigo has used her platform to speak out on societal issues. Earlier this month, the Filipino American pop star voiced support for abortion rights in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court opinion documents in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade.
Featured Image via Olivia Rodrigo (left), @Tomas_Mier (right)