Warriors' Steve Kerr delivers impassioned plea for gun control after Texas school shooting - 'We can't get numb to this'

DALLAS — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn't want to talk about basketball in his pregame news conference heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Basketball, he said, didn't matter.

«Since we left shootaround, 14 children were killed, 400 miles from here. And a teacher,» Kerr said, referring to the mass shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, earlier Tuesday.

Since Kerr spoke, the death toll has risen to at least 18 children and two adults, ABC News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. The 18-year-old suspect, a student at Uvalde High School who entered the school with a handgun and possibly a rifle, is also dead, Gov. Greg Abbott said.

It was not immediately clear how many people were wounded, but the school district's police chief, Pete Arredondo, said there were «several injuries.''

»When are we going to do something," Kerr yelled, slamming his fists on the table. «I'm tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I am so tired of the, excuse, I am sorry, I am tired of the moments of silence. Enough!»

Kerr has long been outspoken against gun violence. His father was shot dead in a terrorist attack in Beirut in 1984 and he has spent much of his professional life calling for gun law reform.

On numerous occasions, including Tuesday, Kerr has pointed to H.R.8, a bill that would tighten background check rules for firearm purchases. That bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in early 2021, but never got to the Senate floor.

«There's a reason why they won't vote on it. To hold on to power,» Kerr said.

As he looked into the camera, he