Biden orders U.S. flags flown at half-staff after Texas shooting

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and other public buildings “as a mark of respect for the victims” in a Texas shooting on Tuesday (May 24) that killed 14 students and one teacher after a gunman opened fire at an elementary school in South Texas.

Flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset on May 28, Biden said in a statement.

The rampage is the latest in a string of high-profile mass shootings. The United States experienced 61 “active shooter” incidents last year, up sharply from the prior year and the highest tally in over 20 years, the FBI reported this week.

(Reuters)