Eighteen students and at least one adult were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in the US state of Texas on Tuesday, authorities said. It had previously been reported that at least 14 children and one adult had been killed.
Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. He entered the school with a handgun and possibly a rifle, and opened fire, Governor Greg Abbott said.
The shooter himself was also killed, apparently he was shot by the police. His motives and the circumstances surrounding the shooting are not yet known. It seems that Ramos acted alone.
The school, with just under 600 students, was surrounded by a heavy police force on Tuesday afternoon. Traffic was diverted and FBI agents walked in and out of the building.
The school, with just under 600 students, was surrounded by a heavy police force on Tuesday afternoon. Traffic was diverted and FBI agents walked in and out of the building. Photo: AP
Uvalde Memorial Hospital initially said 13 children had been taken to the hospital by ambulance or bus. At another hospital, a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were in critical condition.
The shooter would have shot his grandmother first
Police believe Ramos shot and killed his grandmother before going to school, reported CBS News based on anonymous judicial sources.
“It is reported that the suspect shot his grandmother just before entering the school,” Abbott told reporters. “I have no further information about the connection between these two shootings.”
The Texas shooting is the latest in a series of shootings in American schools that spark debate between proponents and opponents of stricter gun controls and Americans’ right to carry guns.
Biden prays for the bereaved families
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, White House press officer Karine Jean-Pierre said. “His prayers are with the families affected by this terrible event, and he will speak tonight when he returns to the White House,” Jean-Pierre said.
Biden learned the news aboard the Air Force One presidential plane. He is on his way back from a visit to Asia. He has ordered that the American flag be flown at half-mast at the White House and other government buildings “as a sign of respect for the victims” of the shooting.