Buffalo shooting victim's son asks Congress: 'What are you doing?'

US legislators rush to strike deal on gun-control legislation

The son of a woman, 86, who was killed when a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, pressed the US Congress on Tuesday to act against "the cancer of white supremacy" after a spate of gun violence that has rocked the nation.

The testimony from Garnell Whitfield, son of Ruth Whitfield, comes as politicians rush to craft a bipartisan agreement on gun-control measures after shootings killed 10 people in Buffalo and 21 in Uvalde, Texas.

“What are you doing? You were elected to protect us,” Mr Whitfield told members of the Senate judiciary committee.

“Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?

“If there is nothing then, respectfully, senators … you should yield your positions of authority and influence to others who are willing to lead on this issue.”

The hearing is the first of two this week as families of victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde appear at public hearings and events on Capitol Hill to show the human toll of America’s gun violence and urge Congress to act.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, places flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

The Duchess of Sussex in Uvalde, Texas. AP

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leaves flowers at a memorial site for the victims killed in this week's primary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. AP

The Duchess of Sussex visits a memorial site for the 19 children and two adults gunned down in Uvalde, Texas. AP

The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde on May 24 became the site of the worst school shooting in a decade, committed by an 18-year-old armed with a legally bought assault rifle. AFP

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at a makeshift memorial outside Uvalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Alanna De Leon writes the name of her friend, Annabelle Rodriguez, who died in the shooting. AFP

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Amerie Jo Garza into Sacred Heart Catholic Church. AP

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Amerie Jo Garza, who died in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. AFP

A memorial in Town Square, Uvalde, Texas, for victims of the Robb Elementary school shooting. Reuters

A woman places a rose on Layla Salazar’s memorial cross, who was one of the victims that died in the shooting. Reuters

Bags with brisket sandwiches and a snack that will be sold at a fundraiser for families of the victims. Reuters

Ashtyn Leigh, 18, hands a man a brisket meal. Reuters

A choir sings in front of the memorial. Reuters

People pray in front of memorial crosses. Reuters

Nineteen children and two adults were killed in the shooting. AFP

People visit a memorial for the victims. AFP

Flowers are left outside the school. AFP

Twenty-one empty chairs are seen outside of a daycare center as a memorial for the victims. AP Photo

Football teammates of Tess Mata, who died in the Texas school shooting, cry as they visit a makeshift memorial outside the Uvalde County Courthouse. AFP

A football teammate of shooting victim Tess Mata cries, supported by her mother. AFP

Texas police faced angry questions over why it took an hour to stop the gunman who murdered 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, as video emerged of desperate parents begging officers to storm the school. AFP

Activists join Senate Democrats outside the Capitol, in Washington, to demand action on gun control legislation after the killings at the Texas elementary school this week. AP

The George R Brown Convention Centre, site of the National Rifle Association annual convention. Days after the deadliest mass school shooting in Texas history, the gun lobbyist group is meeting in Houston, from Friday until Sunday. Reuters

Pastor Carlos Contreras preaches to his congregation as photos of some of the children killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary flash on the screen at Primera Iglesia Bautista, in Uvalde. Reuters

People march after a vigil held to stand with the Uvalde families and demand an end to gun violence in Newtown, Connecticut. AP

A woman holds up a banner at the end of the vigil in Newtown, Connecticut. AP

Newtown was the scene of the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when 20 pupils and six teachers were killed by a gunman. AP

Candles are lit for each victim as people pray at St Philip's Episcopal Church. EPA

A makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School. AFP

Omahar Padillo with his son Omahar Jr, 12, during a community prayer, in Pharr, Texas, for the shooting victims at Robb Elementary School. AP

Omahar Padillo Jr, 12, and his sister Samantha, 9, with their mother, Silvia Padillo, write messages in support of the victims at Robb Elementary School. AP

A vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. AFP

A young mourner at the vigil in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Families at the vigil. AFP

A woman holds a photo of Nevaeh Bravo, who was killed in the mass shooting, during a vigil for the victims of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco is comforted by Senator Ted Cruz during a vigil at the Uvalde County Fairplex Arena. AP

Diana Karau of Uvalde with a therapy dog named Tritan before a vigil to honour those killed at Robb Elementary. AP

Gun-control advocates Dana Cibulski, left, and Judi Giannini attend a vigil outside the National Rifle Association headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. AFP

Uziyah Garcia, 8, was among those killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. AP

Pastor Jaime Cabralez, the uncle of shooting victim 10-year-old Eliahana Cruz Torres, is surrounded in prayer at his church in Uvalde, Texas on Wednesday. Reuters

A woman embraces a child outside Willie de Leon Civic Centre, in Uvalde, where pupils were taken after the school shooting. Bloomberg

Gun-control advocates hold a vigil outside the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. AFP

A woman and child leave the Civic Centre. Reuters

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he was giving negotiators more time to strike a deal.

"Senator [Chris] Murphy has asked for some space to have the bipartisan talks continue, and I have given him that space," Mr Schumer said.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday met Mr Murphy, a Democratic senator who has played a key role in bipartisan negotiations over gun-control legislation.

Mr Biden last week called on Congress to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, or to raise the minimum age to buy those weapons from 18 to 21.

But with most Republicans opposed to tighter gun controls, a bipartisan group of senators is seeking more modest proposals such as "red flag" laws that would keep firearms away from people who may do harm.

Also included in discussions are increased security at schools and wider access to mental health services.

After his meeting with Mr Biden, Mr Murphy said: "Obviously, we've still got work to do in the Senate."

Shortly after the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would have increased the federal government's ability to monitor and report on domestic terrorism in the US.

Tuesday's hearing focused on the "Great Replacement" theory, a white supremacist ideology that police say led a teenage gunman to fire on black shoppers at a supermarket in Buffalo, killing 10.

“My mother’s life mattered,” Mr Whitfield said. “Your actions here will tell us if and how much it mattered to you.”

On Wednesday, a US House committee is expected to hear from more victims' families and a pupil from Robb Elementary School, who covered herself in her dead friend's blood to avoid being shot by an 18-year-old gunman.

Agencies contributed to this report