CNN
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Nineteen youngsters and two adults had been killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Tuesday in what’s now the second deadliest school shooting in the US.
The 18-year-old shooter, recognized by officers as Salvador Ramos, was shot and killed by responding legislation enforcement. He arrived at Robb Elementary School with an extended rifle and carrying physique armor, in line with Sgt. Erick Estrada with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The school teaches second via fourth grades and had 535 students in the 2020-21 school yr, in line with state knowledge.
Hours after the shooting Tuesday, parents were desperately waiting at a civic heart close to the school to search out out if their youngsters had survived. Some instructed CNN they gave their DNA to assist determine the victims.
Here’s what we know about the shooting, which occurred two days earlier than summer season break.
Ramos shot his grandmother Tuesday morning earlier than arriving at the school, Estrada stated, and police had been known as to her house to analyze. She was in essential situation late Tuesday, Estrada stated.
After that, police acquired one other report round 11:30 a.m. that a car had crashed right into a ditch close to the elementary school, Estrada stated. Police imagine Ramos was driving that car, which grew to become disabled inside the ditch.
Following the crash, Ramos exited the car with a rifle in hand and carrying a bulletproof vest, Estrada stated.
“He was engaged by an Uvalde ISD police officer who works here at the school. And then after that, he was engaged by two other officers from the Uvalde Police Department,” Estrada instructed CNN’s Don Lemon. The officers weren’t in a position to cease Ramos, so that they requested for help from a tactical company, Estrada stated. “A tactical agency came in and was able to eliminate the threat and bring the suspect down,” he added.
Officials haven’t been clear on how Ramos managed to get previous the officers and open fireplace in a number of school rooms. The reason behind the crash earlier than he entered the school additionally stays unclear. There had been no reviews from legislation enforcement that Ramos was being pursued previous to the crash, Estrada stated.
More than 20 US Customs and Border Protection brokers responded to the scene and supplied assist, a legislation enforcement official stated. A CBP agent was injured in the response however is secure, the official stated.
The brokers and different legislation enforcement officers took fireplace from the shooter, who had barricaded himself, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Marsha Espinosa tweeted. “Risking their own lives, these Border Patrol Agents and other officers put themselves between the shooter and children on the scene to draw the shooter’s attention away from potential victims and save lives,” she wrote.
A motive for the shooting is unclear at the moment, Estrada stated.
![Members of the community gather at the City of Uvalde Town Square for a prayer vigil in the wake of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/220525011916-02-texas-school-shooting-group-wide-0524.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill)
Parents and family members waited in agony for hours Tuesday at a civic center-turned-reunifcation heart for any info on their youngsters.
“We see people coming out just terrorized. They’re crying one by one. They’re being told that their child has passed on,” State Sen. Roland Gutierrez instructed CNN Tuesday evening from the civic heart.
Outside the civic heart, a father who had realized his little one was dead fought tears as he was embraced by his cousins, in line with CNN’s Nicole Chavez.
Just a few yards away, a grandmother arrived from San Antonio and stated she wouldn’t cease praying for her 10-year-old granddaughter as they waited for identification outcomes of the DNA swabs.
Eva Mireles, a fourth-grade instructor, was killed in the shooting, her aunt Lydia Martinez Delgado instructed CNN.
“I’m furious that these shooting continue, these children are innocent, rifles should not be easily available to all. This is … my hometown a small community of less than 20,000,” she instructed CNN affiliate KSAT in an announcement. “I never imagined this would happen to especially to loved ones. … All we can do is pray hard for our country, state, schools and especially the families of all.”
Mireles had been an educator for 17 years, in line with her profile on the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District web site. In her off time, she loved working, mountain climbing, biking, and spending time together with her household, in line with the web site.
The school district stated it would cancel the the rest of the school yr. Thursday was set to be the final day of school earlier than the summer season break.
Uvalde County, situated about 85 miles west of San Antonio, had a inhabitants of about 25,000 as of the 2020 Census.
![People outside the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center, where students had been brought from Robb Elementary School after the shooting on Tuesday.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/220525012531-texas-school-shooting-women-crying-0524.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill)
The shooter was a pupil at Uvalde High School, officers stated.
Three days earlier than shooting, a photograph of two AR-15-style rifles appeared on an Instagram account tied to Ramos.
One of Ramos’ former classmates, who didn’t need to be recognized, instructed CNN Ramos just lately despatched him a photograph displaying an AR-15, a backpack with rounds of ammunition and a number of gun magazines.
![Law enforcement officers outside of Robb Elementary School following the mass shooting on Tuesday.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/220525010426-02-texas-school-shooting-sign-0524.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill)
“I was like, ‘Bro, why do you have this?’ and he was like, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” the good friend stated.
“He proceeded to text me, ‘I look very different now. You wouldn’t recognize me,’” the good friend added.
The good friend additionally stated Ramos had stopped attending school frequently.
Ramos labored at an area Wendy’s, the restaurant’s supervisor confirmed to CNN.
Evening supervisor Adrian Mendes stated Ramos “kept to himself mostly” and “didn’t really socialize with the other employees. … He just worked, got paid, and came in to get his check.”