Eighteen students and three teachers were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in the US state of Texas on Tuesday, state senator Roland Gutierrez said.
The gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in South Texas, Uvalde. Salvador Ramos, 18, a resident of Uvalde, entered the school with a handgun, and possibly a rifle, and opened fire, Abbott said.
“He shot and killed in a horrific, incomprehensible manner, 14 students and a teacher. Mr Ramos, the gunman, himself died and the officers are believed to have killed him,” the governor said at a news conference.
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 previously said 13 children had been taken to the hospital by ambulance or bus. Another hospital reported that a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were in critical condition.
The exact number of dead and injured is not yet known, reports ap. The motive of the shooter and the circumstances of the shooting are not yet known.
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.