Watch: ‘People are hurting’ – Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey calls for gun control action

McConaughey related the personal stories of a number of the victims, displaying the artwork of one girl, and the trademark green tennis shoes worn by another

Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, spoke about the mass shooting in Uvalde, as he joined White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the daily briefing at the White House in Washington. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Actor Matthew McConaughey took centre stage at the White House to call on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation in honour of those killed in last month’s shooting rampage at a school in his home town of Uvalde, Texas.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey offered a full-throated exhortation for a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.