Salvador Ramos kills 19 children at Uvalde; Congress passes its first federal gun law in nearly 30 years

Salvador Ramos, 18, fatally shot 19 students and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, after law enforcement waited approximately 74 minutes outside classrooms while children called 911 for help. The delayed police response, combined with the victims'' youth, produced a sustained public outcry that broke years of federal legislative gridlock. On June 24, 2022, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed by President Joe Biden, strengthening background checks for buyers under 21, funding mental health and school safety programs, closing the "boyfriend loophole" in domestic violence firearms restrictions, and incentivizing states to enact red flag laws. The law passed with 15 Republican Senate votes, the broadest bipartisan gun legislation in nearly 30 years.