'We are failing' - Texas school shooting prompts emotional plea from Austin owner McConaughey

Austin FC owner Matthew McConaughey demanded action after a school shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, killed at least 21 people, 19 of whom were children, on Tuesday.

The actor and MLS investor was one of many sports-associated figures in the United States to show outrage after the tragedy, which continued a devastating, decades-long epidemic of mass shootings in the country.

McConaughey called the incident one Americans "can control" but are failing to do so amid political strife.

What did McConaughey write about the Uvalde shooting?

"As you all are aware there was another mass shooting today, this time in my home town of Uvalde, Texas," he wrote on Twitter. "Once again, we have tragically proven that we are failing to be responsible for the rights our freedoms grant us.

"The true call to action now is for every American to take a longer and deeper look in the mirror, and ask ourselves, 'What is it that we truly value? How do we repair the problem? What small sacrifices can we individually take today, to preserve a healthier and safer nation, state, and neighborhood tomorrow?' We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo.

"As Americans, Texans, mothers and fathers, it's time we re-evaluate, and renegotiate our wants from our needs. We have to rearrange our values and find a common ground above this devastating American reality that has tragically become our children's issue."

McConaughey then demanded change, continuing: "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. Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured.

"And to those who dropped off their loved ones today not knowing it was goodbye, no words can comprehend or heal your loss, but if prayers can provide comfort, we will keep them coming."

Who else has spoken out?

Athletes and coaches across different sports have shared their perspectives in the aftermath of the shooting, and one of the most statements came from NBA coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.

Kerr's father was shot to death, so the issue has always been extremely personal and emotional for him.