According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a tragic incident occurred on Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, resulting in the loss of 19 children and two teachers due to a shooting. President Biden, urging lawmakers to take action, condemned the event as a “massacre.”
The tragic incident in Uvalde, San Antonio’s west, comes just days after another deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, amidst a rapid rise in active shooters.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated, “There are families currently grieving, as parents leave their children at school, they anticipate that their child will be safely retrieved at the end of the school day.”
In order to collect their children, the fact remains that these parents will not be grieving alongside them for the condition of Texas.
As per her stepfather, Angel, Amerie Jo Garza, who recently commemorated her 10th birthday a couple of weeks ago, was one of them. Authorities state that the students who lost their lives were primarily in the third and fourth grades.
He wrote in a statement to ABC News, “My little love is now flying high with angels above.” “I love you, them. I love you, Amerie. Them, them. Hug your family. Please, don’t take a second for granted.”
Abbott stated that Ramos “fatally and shockingly shot and killed,” further mentioning that the 18-year-old perpetrator, Salvador Ramos, who was a student at Uvalde High School, has also passed away.
The authorities initially said that the grandmother was killed, but later she said the condition was critical. Sources said that the gunman shot his grandmother first at a separate scene.
Later, he crashed his car outside the school and emerged with a rifle that looked like an AR-15, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
According to sources, he legally purchased two AR-style rifles on May 17, just one day after his birthday on May 20, and a few days before the shooting.
Authorities have recovered numerous guns and magazines, as well as analyzing sources and evidence. Officials earlier stated that the gunman was wearing body armor, but later corrected themselves to say that it was tactical gear instead. Sources said that the gunman was not wearing a protective vest, including fabric or plates that could hold ammunition.
According to the sources, the perpetrator allegedly fired at the police officer of the Uvalde Independent School District, who was involved in an activity outside the premises, as he neared the school promptly.
According to the sources, it was reported that the perpetrator gained access to the school premises, secured himself inside a classroom, and purportedly discharged a firearm, resulting in the tragic demise of 18 students, primarily in the third and fourth grades, along with the unfortunate loss of a teacher.
As per the sources, the Border Patrol officers reacted to a call for help from the law enforcement. In that situation, he engaged in a shootout with an officer from Uvalde ISD and agents from the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, some of whom have kids enrolled in the school.
Investigators are examining ballistics to ascertain the individual who discharged the shot that resulted in the demise of the suspect.
According to an interview with ABC News, a fourth-grade student who was present in the school at the time stated that the teacher witnessed the shooter and afterwards, the students heard a loud noise coming from a window.
We are all scared here on the ground, fearing for our lives. We constantly hear all kinds of gunshots, as if they are nonstop. She said that it sounded like a big gun, like a really loud one. “Oh my God, there’s a gun,” she exclaimed.
Following the incident, law enforcement is currently reviewing screenshots of purported conversations between the suspect and an Instagram user, which were publicly shared on her account. According to interviews conducted by ABC News, the individual accused of the shooting allegedly sent videos and pictures of firearms to several users across different social media platforms.
Abbott stated that two police officers who responded to the incident were among the individuals wounded. He mentioned that they are anticipated to recover. According to Del Rio Sector Chief Jason D. Owens, one of the Border Patrol agents was harmed while attempting to shield students and is currently recuperating at the hospital.
The medical center stated that a 45-year-old individual was also admitted to the hospital after being grazed by a bullet. The status of the remaining individuals was not immediately evident. Three individuals were relocated to San Antonio for medical care. Unfortunately, two of them passed away. Initially, Uvalde Memorial Hospital received 13 children as patients.
In San Antonio, the University Health stated that there were four patients, including a 10-year-old girl, a 66-year-old woman, an adult woman, and three students, who were critically injured in the shooting incident.
According to a military representative, two grown-up individuals affected by the gunfire, both in a severe state, are also receiving medical attention at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
Some of the people harmed in the shooting event are underage individuals who are the children of Customs and Border Patrol officers, as per law enforcement sources who conversed with ABC News.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District previously stated that a gunman was situated at Robb Elementary School and requested individuals to avoid the vicinity.
More information will be gathered as soon as it is shared. Your cooperation is needed at this time, not by visiting campus. Law enforcement is on site. “The school district said on Twitter,” There is an active shooter at Robb Elementary.
The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.M. Local time, according to authorities.
The Sgt. Willie Deleon Civic Center, the designated location for reuniting students, served as the destination where students were taken and could be collected. The school, which enrolls students from second to fourth grade, promptly notified parents after 2 p.M.
Following the incident, Ryan Ramirez, a concerned parent, informed San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT that he had visited both the civic center and the primary school in an attempt to locate his daughter, who is in the fourth grade.
“[I’m] simply perplexed and anxious. I’m attempting to ascertain the whereabouts of my infant,” he informed the station.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Houston Field Division also stated that it is aiding in the investigation.
Customs and Border Protection officials in the vicinity promptly addressed the incident. A representative stated that the organization “is actively collaborating with federal, state, and local allies” and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been informed about the matter.
As per a law enforcement bulletin acquired by ABC News, the National Counterterrorism Operations Center asserts that currently, there is “no established connection to terrorism.”
Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky, Jack Date, Nicholas Kerr, and Mireya Villarreal from ABC News contributed to this report.