It was a gloomy day in Carolina Forest where people were running errands and buying groceries in order to distract themselves from the horrors that took place at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas Tuesday.
An 18-year-old man walked into a Robb Elementary School classroom and killed 19 children and two teachers, police confirmed Wednesday.
While many were still trying to process what happened, it was clear that people are feeling upset, angry, and frustrated.
"What is this world coming to? You can't even send your kids to school now. I have a grandson and two granddaughters that I have to worry about," said one community member, Nancy Galuski.
Many at the shopping center were parents and grandparents who said they shouldn't have to worry about whether their children will be there when they pick them up from school.
"Some parents send their kids to school, they expect their kids to come home. It's just a terrible loss," said Patricia Hemingway, a grandmother.
According to Education Week, there have been 27 school shootings this year. Hemingway said she’s tired of seeing the same tragedy on the news and no change.
"Every day, every day we see it, every day. If it's not today, then it's a month later. Yes, it's very stressful," she said.
Some people are calling for better public-school security and gun laws that make it hard to access firearms.
"More security, more police on campus, more metal detectors, pat-downs, shakedowns," one mother, Vanessa Ruyz, suggested.
Hemingway believes that stricter gun laws are the way to prevent future tragedies.
"Gun control, gun control, that's just the number one answer gun control," Hemingway said.
While many are asking how something like this could happen, one mother said that the most important thing to do right now is to support one another during this tough time.
Police said Tuesday was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and as of Wednesday had not released a possible motive.