UVALDE, Texas — Meghan Markle, who is married to U.K.'s Prince Harry, made an impromptu and unannounced visit to an Uvalde, Texas memorial dedicated to the 19 children and 2 teachers killed in an elementary school shooting on May 24.
Dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball cap, the Duchess of Sussex, 40, left a bouquet of flowers in front of crosses set up outside the Uvalde courthouse. She was accompanied by a security guard who stood behind her as she walked around the memorial.
Markle also reportedly donated sandwiches, beverages and desserts at a community center hosting a blood drive, according to volunteers at the Herby Ham Activity Center who spoke to BuzzFeed News.
A representative for Markle also confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the Duchess traveled to Uvalde "in a personal capacity as a mother" in order to offer "her condolences and support in person to a community experiencing unimaginable grief."
Meghan and Harry announced two years ago that they were stepping away from their royal duties. Since then, the couple has moved to California where they are raising their two children.
Officials in Texas have confirmed that the 18-year-old gunman legally purchased two AR-15 style weapons the week before the attack. After shooting his grandmother, the suspect proceeded to Robb Elementary School where he killed the children and teachers.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has now confirmed that a school resource officer was not present when the suspect entered the building, contradicting earlier reports from law enforcement that the gunman had exchanged fire with the officer before entering the building.
DPS added that the gunman appears to have entered the building through an apparently unlocked door and that it took at least three quarters of an hour from that moment for authorities to shoot and kill the gunman inside the building.