Entertainment Movies Matthew McConaughey Meets with Victims' Families in His Hometown of Uvalde, Texas, After School Shooting "Thank you Matthew for helping to heal our community," Rep. Tony Gonzales wrote on Twitter after Matthew McConaughey paid a visit following Tuesday's mass shooting By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Instagram Twitter Glenn Garner is a Writer/Reporter who works heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. Since graduating from Northern Arizona University with a dual major in journalism and photography, he got his professional start at OUT Magazine, The Advocate and Teen Vogue, and he's since consistently kept his finger on the pulse of the LGBTQ community. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 28, 2022 05:43 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Matthew McConaughey. Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Matthew McConaughey is doing what he can to help after this week's tragic school shooting that shook his hometown of Uvalde, Texas. After Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 21 people — including 19 students and two adults — the Academy Award winner, 52, paid a visit to the community with Rep. Tony Gonzales on Friday at Uvalde Civic Center, PEOPLE has confirmed. During the visit, he met with families and those affected by the tragedy, including parents who lost their kids during the shooting. "Thank you Matthew for helping to heal our community. Your visit brought so many smiling faces to Uvalde. See you soon my friend," Gonzales, 41, wrote on Twitter, also sharing photos of the visit. Matthew McConaughey Calls for Change After School Shooting in Texas Hometown: 'We Must Do Better' McConaughey's trip came after he shared a heartfelt statement in response to the attack. "Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us," he wrote in part. "This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better," McConaughey added. "Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured." Texas School Shooting: What We Know About the Victims The Dazed and Confused actor was born in Uvalde, where he lived for much of his childhood. His mother Kay McCabe taught at St. Philip's Episcopal School, about a mile away from Robb Elementary. Since Tuesday's shooting, President Joe Biden has also spoken out about the attack, expressing his anger over the country's ongoing gun violence. Robb Elementary School. Brandon Bell/Getty Images On Wednesday, he signed an executive order on policing and public safety and pushed for "commonsense gun reforms." "As a nation, I think we all must be there for them," Biden said. "And we must ask: When in God's name will we do what needs to be done to, if not completely stop, fundamentally change the amount of the carnage that goes on in this country?" The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety has said that Chief of Police Pete Arredondo made the "wrong decision" in not confronting the shooter until more than 40 minutes after he entered the school. "From the benefit of hindsight where I'm sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision," Col. Steven McCraw told reporters. "It was a wrong decision. There's no excuse for that. We believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can. When there's an active shooter, the rules change." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to McCraw, the shooter barricaded himself inside a classroom that they believed was otherwise empty. All of the victims were reportedly found in that room. One police officer told PEOPLE that they stood outside the school for more than an hour, waiting for a signal to go in and neutralize the gunman. Uvalde Leader News "There was almost a mutiny," he said. "We were like, 'There's a f—ing gunman in the school, we hear gunshots, and we're just going to stand here with our thumbs up our a—es?' We wanted to go in and save lives. It was the most frustrating situation of my entire career." Following the shooting, Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from a nearby district, penned a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, requesting an investigation into conflicting reports given by police. In the letter, Castro asked the bureau to "use its maximum authority to thoroughly examine the timeline of events and the law enforcement response." RELATED VIDEO: Authorities Admit 'Wrong Decision' Not to Confront Gunman Sooner During Texas School Shooting The shooter, who has been identified as Uvalde resident Salvador Ramos, 18, was found dead at the scene after abandoning his vehicle nearby and entering the school at around 11:30 a.m. local time. Before arriving at the school, Ramos shot his grandmother at her residence, and she was subsequently airlifted to a hospital. The school district in Uvalde has opened an official account with First State Bank of Uvalde to support Robb Elementary families affected by the tragedy. People can send checks through the mail (payable to the "Robb School Memorial Fund") or donate money through Zelle to robbschoolmemorialfund@gmail.com. People can also donate by calling 830-356-2273.