Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said Tuesday’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has left him apprehensive about the future, especially if he chooses to have a family one day.
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“Honestly, it makes me fearful to have children,” Prescott said Wednesday, according to USA Today. “And that’s not right. That’s sad. …. I don’t care if you’re an athlete or not. We’re talking about children. We’re talking about the future. I mean, I don’t have kids and can’t imagine having to send my kid to school with that anxiety.”
Prescott, 28, was among the members of the Cowboys organization that spoke about the horrific attack that unfolded roughly 380 miles southwest of the team’s headquarters, which left at least 19 children and two teachers dead. The alleged gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, opened fire at Robb Elementary School and was later killed by police.
Prescott’s teammate, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, said he, much like the rest of the country, is still reeling in the wake of recent tragedies, including the racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket earlier this month and a church shooting in California.
“This is something that’s been happening for weeks,” Lawrence said. “And now it hits an elementary school, and we decide to turn on our TV and act like something is different? … I feel like we are sitting back and looking on the outside and saying, ‘It’s not my family so it has nothing to do with me.’ And deep down it hurts.”
Head coach Mike McCarthy, whose daughter is in the fourth grade, also appeared to hold back tears Wednesday at the podium, telling the media: “There has to be a better way. We know there’s a better way. And we need to do the things to make it better. To not protect the future of our community is tragic. It makes me sick like I’m sure it does everybody.”
The Cowboys released a message Tuesday, stating the organization “grieves alongside the community of Uvalde and all of those affected by today’s tragic event.”
“As we mourn the loss of innocent life, our hearts and prayers are with the victims’ families, loved ones, faculty and staff of Robb Elementary,” the statement concluded.
