Social media had harsh words for Meghan Markle after her surprise appearance at the site of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 21, including 19 children.
Markle was spotted on Thursday laying a bouquet of white roses on a makeshift monument outside Uvalde County Courthouse, not far from the scene of the senseless murders at Robb Elementary School.
He also went to a community center in Uvalde that organizes a blood drive, where he visited the facility and donated food, a volunteer told DailyMail.com. “She didn’t want anyone to know who she was,” the person said.
The duchess made the trip in her personal capacity as a mother, to offer her condolences and personal support to a community in unimaginable pain, her spokeswoman told People.
However, some were outraged by what they considered to be the duchess’s attempt to take the lead after an unimaginable tragedy.
They also highlighted the fact that her father Thomas is currently in the hospital after suffering a stroke and that Meghan has not visited him.
Meghan Markle places a bouquet of white roses on the monument outside the courthouse in Uvalde County
Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle visits a memorial site in Uvalde, Texas on Thursday to honor the victims of this week’s shooting at elementary school
Praying respectfully in Texas, Markle was dressed incognito in a simple T-shirt, jeans, and cap, but still wore a $ 6,900 Cartier Love bracelet and a $ 23,000 Princess Diana Cartier Tank Watch.
His upper bodyguard Alberto Alvarez (left) watched as Markle walked around the monument, looking at the white crosses with the names of the other victims.
Duchess Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, lays flowers while weeping at a makeshift monument in front of the Umbalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday.
“I find her posing like this without a doubt her own absolutely disgusting photographer,” one user tweeted. “I’m used to his public relations stunts, but that makes me angry. Of course, I respect you, but putting 4 photos and handing them to the media is MALTA.”
Another noted that Markle’s father, Thomas, had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke.
“All the way from California to Texas, the camera to tow, to get to the memorial site for the dead children,” one user tweeted. ‘You are insensitive. Your PR is dark. A flight to Texas but not to your father.
“His father had a massive stroke a few days ago. Apparently, there is still no call, card or white roses for him,” wrote another.
Jill Kargman, author and star of Bravo’s Odd Mom Out, was also critical: “This sounds empty and makes you feel opportunistic. tragedy, but it draws attention to her obvious quest to be the princess of our people. No thanks. ‘
It has been speculated that he would visit his bed in Chula Vista, California, just a few hours’ drive from the house he shares with Prince Harry in Montecito, after years of strained relations with his father.
Thomas Markle appears in ‘Good Morning Britain’. Meghan’s father recently suffered a severe stroke
Others made a political statement, comparing them to other shootings across the country.
“Meghan Markle and other celebrities show up for photo shoots in Uvalde … where were they for Waukesha and Brooklyn?” asked the comic Tim Young.
On Tuesday in Uvalde, gunman Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, carried out the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade, killing 19 young children and two teachers before being shot dead by police.
Praying his respects in Texas, Markle was dressed incognito in a simple T-shirt, jeans, and a hat, but still wore a $ 6,900 Cartier Love bracelet and a $ 23,000 Princess Diana Cartier Tank Watch.
It was unclear whether Markle’s husband, Prince Harry, who lives with her and her two children in Montecito, accompanied her on her trip to Texas, but was not seen at the memorial or community center with her. .
Accompanying the duchess was the head of her security team, Alberto Alvarez, who once took care of Michael Jackson’s protection. The bodyguard watched from a respectful distance as Markle walked across the makeshift monument.
British Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle shows respect at a makeshift monument in front of the Umbalde County Courthouse in Uvalde, Texas on Thursday.
Markle’s visit to the small community about 80 miles west of San Antonio was unannounced and surprised the city, which is still shocked by the deadly tragedy.
As the cameras rolled, Markle headed for the makeshift monument to pay his respects to the murders.
Markle placed a bouquet of simple white roses at the memorial site outside the UValde County Courthouse
Bodyguard Alberto Alvarez, who once took care of Michael Jackson’s protection, watched Markle on his Mercy Tour
‘I had no idea who he was. She was just having a conversation like her and had known me for years, “Gloria Contreras, a 40-year-old volunteer, told BuzzFeed, who first reported Markle’s visit to the Herby Ham Activity Center as part of his trip to Uvalde.
“We were just talking about, you know, the situation and what happened what we were doing here. I told him we were giving people water and we were feeding them,” Contreras said.
“I even talked about my personal life, I told him about my son and my family, and, you know, I came to Texas because he told me he was from Santa Barbara and I said, ‘Well, you have to come to Texas, ” Contreras added.
“We were talking about Texas and Uvalde and what it’s like to be in a small town and how everyone is so kind and affectionate and we know we know each other and all that and how the faith is deeply rooted.”
Although Markle did not address the press during her visit to the memorial, the Duchess of American descent has already voiced her views in favor of stricter gun control laws.
President Joe Biden also plans to visit Uvalde in the coming days. He called on lawmakers to address the powerful U.S. arms rights lobby and enact “common sense gun reforms.”
Uvalde’s shooting was the deadliest since 20 elementary school children and six staff members were killed at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.
A Texas law enforcement official said Thursday that the UValde shooter entered the elementary school building “unobstructed” through a door that was apparently open.
People lay flowers at a makeshift monument outside Robb Elementary School Thursday in Uvalde, Texas
Salvador Ramos legally bought two AR-15-style rifles (right), including the one he used in yesterday’s attack after his 18th birthday last week. The gunman also bought more than 300 rounds of ammunition
The shooting began at 11 a.m. when Ramos shot his grandmother. At 11:15 a.m., he sent a message to a girl in Germany telling her he was going to “shoot an elementary school.” He crashed his truck at 11:30 a.m. and headed for school with an AR-15 rifle. At 11:32 a.m., at least one police officer was overlooked at the school entrance. He entered, barricaded himself in a classroom and managed to stay there for an hour, terrorizing the children, before finally being shot down.
Victor Escalon, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the gunman did not initially meet with any police officers when he entered Robb Elementary School on Tuesday and opened fire.
Police authorities on Thursday faced growing questions and criticism about how long it took before they stormed a Texas elementary school classroom and put an end to the fury.
Many other details about the timing of the incident and the police response remained murky.
The motive for the massacre was further investigated, and authorities said Ramos had no known criminal or mental health record.
The gunman shot his own grandmother in the face minutes before he attacked the school, and his text messages indicated he was arguing with his 66-year-old grandmother over his phone bill.