Matthew McConaughey returned to his afflicted hometown of Uvalde, Texas after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School left 19 children and two teachers dead.
After learning of the horror unfolding, McConaughey posted a lengthy statement on social media about the tragedy.
On Friday, the 52-year-old actor went to the village of Uvalde himself to help the mourners “heal”.
McConaughey was accompanied by Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales as he consoled the community where he spent the first 12 years of his life.
The Oscar winner, whose mother Kay McCabe was a teacher at St. Philip of Uvalde Episcopal School, according to local media, visited the city’s school district staff.
He did not address the press during his brief visit.
“Thank you Matthew for helping to heal our community,” Gonzales tweeted. “Your visit brought so many smiling faces to Uvalde. See you soon my friend.”
Gonzales shared images of McConaughey embracing staff and students during his visit.
“We appreciate Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, who helps us heal,” he said. “This week was a solemn reminder that evil exists in the world, but we will never let it break us.”
“We will unite to be an even more powerful reminder that love never fails and together we can change things,” Gonzales added.
On Wednesday, McConaughey called for action on social media to combat armed violence.
“As you all know, there was another mass shooting today, this time in my hometown of Uvalde, Texas,” the actor wrote on social media.
“Once again, we have tragically shown that we are not responsible for the rights that our freedoms grant us.”
McConaughey called for an end to “excuses and accepting these tragic realities as the status quo.”
The actor, who moved from Uvalde seven hours away to Longview, Texas, when he was 11, said the endless news of armed violence in the U.S. is “an epidemic we can control.”