Deadly School Shooting in Texas
Rubi Orellana
Shootings have been on the rise recently, but the devastation at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday May 24th was by far the deadliest mass shooting since the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, at least nineteen students and two instructors were killed when a gunman opened fire in a Texas elementary school on Tuesday.
This elementary school is eighty-three miles west of San Antonio. "It's thought he abandoned his vehicle and then entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and maybe a rifle," Abbott said. Before arriving at the school, the suspect shot his grandmother. His grandmother was hospitalized and is in stable condition now. After crashing his vehicle nearby, he went to the school and opened fire. According to Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Chris Olivarez, “He started shooting at everyone in front of him." This put the teachers and students of the school in a horrifying situation. According to Gov. Greg Abbott, the police shot and killed the gunman, putting an end to the conflict.
On NBC's "TODAY" broadcast on Wednesday, Olivarez said the gunman confined himself to a classroom. Officers outside the building heard gunshots, but were unable to enter due to a barrage of gunfire. Some people were hurt. Officers resorted to breaking windows, and managed to get some children and personnel out. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the shooter was wearing body armor and wielding a rifle. However, Olivarez stated on MSNBC that they suspect the shooter was wearing a tactical vest. It's unclear whether the shooter wore a vest with ballistic protection. The shooter, according to Olivarez, had no criminal past and was "unemployed" with "no friends, no girlfriend, that we can identify."
Authorities said the attack happened shortly after 11:30 a.m. and was classified as a mass casualty incident. Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, has been identified as the shooter. Olivarez stated that he had attended one of the local high schools.
"The investigation indicates that the suspect acted alone during this horrible crime," Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District's head of police, said during a news conference. The shooter bought two semi automatic rifles on his 18th birthday at a gun store in the Uvalde area, according to state Senator Roland Gutierrez. It's unclear whether Ramos utilized these weapons in the attack. Local law enforcement is being assisted by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in finding the suspect's motives and background. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was also called in to help.
May the little children and instructors killed in the elementary school tragedy rest in peace.
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