Family members painstakingly release the names and photos of children, adults who died in unspeakable tragedy at a Uvalde, Tex elementary school.
Residents of Uvalde, Tex., a predominantly Latino and white town just 80 miles west of San Antonio, are in shock after what has been deemed one of the bloodiest massacres on school grounds. Eighteen year old, Uvalde High School student Salvador Rolando Ramos, has been identified as the sole gunman who opened fire on school children, teachers and staff at Robb Elementary.
In a speech, President Joe Biden remarked. “To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away. There’s a hollowness in your chest, and you feel like you’re being sucked into it and never going to be able to get out. It’s suffocating. And it’s never quite the same.”
Here are the details thus far:
On Tuesday afternoon, May 22, Salvador Rolando Ramos shot his grandmother then fled the scene in her vehicle before going to Robb Elementary. After he crashes the car, he makes his way to the school and is said to have fired at someone in the funeral home across from Robb Elementary. Just before Ramos arrives, parents were leaving the school after they attended an award ceremony. Next, law enforcement receives calls of a possible gunman aiming for Robb Elementary.
At some point, he entered the school grounds with at least one, maybe two weapons. Some of the parents who attended the award ceremony were also law enforcement officers. They went into the school and retrieved their children. Law enforcement would not re-enter until 90 minutes later.
According to Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety, as soon as he gained entry, Ramos began to open fire at whoever fell into his path. Eventually, he barricaded himself into a fourth grade classroom adjoined to another class.
When local police officers responded to the emergency call they ten put in a call for more back up. In total, a combination of multiple federal officers, local officers, as well as state troopers arrived. At the scene, a tactical team from border patrol went into the building where they exchanged gunfire with Ramos who was shot and killed.
The carnage was high. Nineteen children between the second and fourth grade were killed, along with 2 teachers. Including Ramos, the total is now at 22. Others have been reported as injured.
Family members have started to release the names of those murdered. Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012, where 26 people, including 20 first graders were killed, there have been about 900 school shootings in the U.S.
At a press conference with the Uvalde Police Department and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, they told the public that information further into the investigation will be released gradually. For now, the district has canceled school for the rest of the year. The last day was slated to be this Thursday.
White House flags have been lowered to half-staff, a nation grieves at the second mass shooting within 10 days.
*The story was updated 10:32, May 26, 2022. The previous school photo incorrectly showed Robb Elementary in Lock Haven, Penn. We apologize for our error.
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