A total of 19 children and two teachers were gunned down in yet another mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This time, the shooter, Salvador Ramos, targeted Robb Elementary School.
Uvalde school shooting: Here are the latest updates
Local and federal law enforcement officials rushed to the scene of the mass shooting on Tuesday afternoon after Ramos went into the school and commenced his shooting rampage.
At first, Texas governor Greg Abbott revealed that 14 children aged between eight and nine years old were killed, including one teacher.
However, as investigations progressed into the evening, Sergeant Erick Estrada from the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the death toll had risen to 19 children and two teachers.
In total, 21 victims were killed in the Uvalde school shooting. That is 11 more innocent victims killed than Payton Gendron‘s mass shooting that took place at a local supermarket in Buffalo just 10 days ago.
Texas authorities confirmed Robb Elementary School will not reopen until the start of the next academic year and that trauma counselling services will be provided to survivors and affected locals at the Willie de Leon Civic Centre.
What we know about Salvador Ramos
The killer behind this horrific mass shooting is an 18-year-old man named Salvador Ramos.
According to Governor Abbott, Ramos entered the elementary school carrying a handgun and possibly a rifle. He went into a number of classrooms and released gunfire at second, third and fourth graders.
It’s believed the shooter was killed in a confrontation with police, two of whom sustained injuries in the fiery exchange.
“He shot and killed — horrifically, incomprehensibly — 14 students and killed a teacher (this was later updated to 19 children and two teachers). [The shooter], he himself is deceased. And it is believed that responding officers killed him,” Abbott confirmed.
Ramos, police confirmed, shot and injured his grandmother moments before he drove to Robb Elementary School to execute his sordid plans.
While authorities are still collecting information on the motive of the mass shooting, crucial information on the suspect has surfaced on the internet. Here’s what we know.
He texted a woman shortly before he committed the mass shooting
A woman known only by her Instagram handle ‘@epnupues’ was tagged by Ramos in a story where he posted a picture of two assault rifles.
Later, the user was forced to release a statement, shooting down claims that she was an accomplice to Ramos’ crimes. She supported her claims with a string of texts they exchanged a day or two before the Uvalde school shooting. Take a look.
“He’s a stranger. I know nothing about him. He decided to tag me in his gun post. I’m so sorry for the victims and their families i really don’t know what to say,” the woman wrote.