Texas school shooting: What happened and who are the victims?

A teenage gunman killed a minimum of 19 kids and two adults after storming right into a Texas main faculty. Right here’s what we all know up to now.

A teenage gunman has killed a minimum of 19 kids and two adults after storming right into a main faculty in Uvalde, Texas, within the newest mass taking pictures in the USA and the deadliest US faculty taking pictures in a decade.

Here's what we all know.

What occurred and when?

  • A teenage gunman killed a minimum of 19 younger kids and two adults at Robb Elementary Faculty – which teaches greater than 500 principally Hispanic and economically deprived college students – in Texas on Tuesday.
  •  In keeping with authorities, the taking pictures began at 11:32am (15:32 GMT).
  • Texas Division of Public Security officers stated the gunman shot his grandmother earlier than heading to the varsity the place he deserted his car and entered with a handgun and a rifle, sporting physique armour. Different officers stated later that the grandmother survived and was being handled, although her situation was not identified.
  • The gunman barricaded himself inside the varsity and exchanged gunfire with officers as they entered the constructing, stated Marsha Espinosa, a spokeswoman for the Division of Homeland Safety. One US Border Patrol agent was wounded.
  • The gunman was killed by responding officers, officers stated.

INTERACTIVE Texas primary school shooting

The place did it occur?

  • The assault came about in Uvalde – a small neighborhood of about 16,000 residents about 129km (80 miles) west of San Antonio and about 113km (70 miles) from the Mexican border.
  • Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, stated the 600 kids who attended the first faculty had been aged from 5 or 6 to about 12 years outdated.

US MAP

Who was the gunman?

  • Texas Governor Greg Abbott named the suspect as Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old resident and a US citizen. “He shot and killed, horrifically and incomprehensibly,” Abbott stated.
  • Officers didn't instantly reveal a motive.
  • A supervisor at a Wendy’s restaurant advised the New York Occasions that Ramos labored there for a yr however give up a couple of month in the past.
  • He “went out of the way in which to maintain [to] himself,” Adrian Mendez of Wendy’s advised the New York Occasions. “Nobody actually knew him.”
  • Ramos purchased his weapon after his 18th birthday, which was on Might 16, based on a report by the Washington Submit.

What do we all know concerning the victims?

By dusk, some names of the primary victims began to emerge.

  • Manny Renfro advised The Related Press that his grandson, eight-year-old Uziyah Garcia, was killed. “The sweetest little boy that I’ve ever identified,” Renfro stated. “I’m not simply saying that as a result of he was my grandkid.”
  • Fourth-grade instructor Eva Mireles, 44, was additionally killed and he or she was remembered as a loving mom and spouse. “She was adventurous. I might undoubtedly say these great issues about her. She is certainly going to be very missed,” 34-year-old relative Amber Ybarra, of San Antonio, advised AP.
  • Lisa Garza, 54, of Arlington, Texas, mourned the loss of life of her cousin, Xavier Javier Lopez, who had been eagerly awaiting a summer season of swimming. “He was only a loving 10-year-old little boy, simply having fun with life, not understanding that this tragedy was going to occur right now,” she advised AP.
  • Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was additionally recognized as one of many victims. “Thanks everybody for the prayers and assist looking for my child,” Angel Garza advised ABC Information in a press release. “My little love is now flying excessive with the angels above. Please don’t take a second as a right. Hug your loved ones. Inform them you like them. I like you Amerie Jo. Watch over your child brother for me.”
  • Jose Lopez, 10, was additionally killed. His uncle Christopher Salazar confirmed his loss of life. “He was a really blissful little boy. He cherished each his mother and father … and cherished to snicker and have enjoyable,” Salazar stated.

INTERACTIVE Mapping mass shootings in the US_May25_2022

What's the newest on the bottom?

  • Hours after the taking pictures, police had cordoned off the varsity with yellow tape. Police cruisers and emergency automobiles had been stationed across the perimeter of the varsity grounds. Uniformed personnel stood in small clusters, some in camouflage carrying semi-automatic weapons.

What have the reactions been?

  • Talking from the White Home hours later, a visibly shaken President Joe Biden urged folks within the US to face as much as the nation’s politically highly effective gun foyer, which he blamed for blocking the enactment of more durable firearms security legal guidelines. Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff every day till sundown on Saturday in observance of the taking pictures.
  • Talking Tuesday night time at an occasion, Vice President Kamala Harris referred to as for coverage modifications to assist forestall such tragedies. “I might usually say in a second like this – we might all say, naturally, that our hearts break. However our hearts hold getting damaged,” Harris stated. “Each time a tragedy like this occurs, our hearts break – and our damaged hearts are nothing in comparison with the damaged hearts of these households. And but it retains occurring.”
  • “My coronary heart is damaged,” faculty district superintendent Hal Harrell advised reporters late within the day, his voice quaking with emotion. “We’re a small neighborhood and we want your prayers to get us by way of this.”
  • Governor Abbott stated “Texans are grieving for the victims of this mindless crime”.
  • Ted Cruz, a pro-gun rights Republican senator from Texas, tweeted that he and his spouse had been “lifting up in prayer the youngsters and households within the horrific taking pictures in Uvalde”.
  • In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his unhappiness over the taking pictures and despatched his condolences to the “mother and father, households, associates, classmates, and coworkers whose lives have without end modified”.
  • Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, made an impassioned enchantment for concrete motion to forestall additional gun violence. “This isn’t inevitable, these children weren’t unfortunate. This solely occurs on this nation and nowhere else. Nowhere else do little children go to highschool considering that they could be shot that day,” Murphy stated on the Senate flooring in Washington.
  • UN chief Antonio Guterres additionally expressed his unhappiness over the killings.
  •  Pope Francis stated he was “heartbroken” by the taking pictures and referred to as for larger controls on weapons.
  • Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr refused to speak about basketball at a pre-game information convention and as an alternative referred to as for stricter gun controls after the taking pictures.
  • Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Ideas and prayers aren't sufficient. After years of nothing else, we have gotten a nation of anguished screams. We merely want legislators keen to cease the scourge of gun violence in America that's murdering our youngsters.”
  • Former President of the US Invoice Clinton additionally expressed his condolences whereas he referred to as authorities to take motion.
  • Former President Barack Obama stated, “Michelle and I grieve with the households in Uvalde, who're experiencing ache nobody ought to need to bear.”
  • “Grief overwhelms the soul. Kids slaughtered. Lives extinguished. Dad and mom’ hearts wrenched. Incomprehensible,” Senator Mitt Romney tweeted.
  • Whereas Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted: “Congress might not have the ability to finish this drawback, however we should a minimum of move commonsense gun reforms to lastly defend the general public.”

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