19 children, 2 teachers killed in elementary school shooting; Beto O’Rourke confronts TX gov

UVALDE, Texas — At the very least 19 kids and two academics are lifeless after a taking pictures at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, in accordance with the Texas Division of Public Security — an incident that President Joe Biden decried as “carnage” in a name for lawmakers “to behave.”

The tragedy in Uvalde, about 90 minutes west of San Antonio, comes simply days after one other lethal mass taking pictures in Buffalo, New York and amid a speedy rise in energetic shooter incidents within the nation.

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“When dad and mom drop their youngsters off at college, they’ve each expectation to know that they are going to have the ability to decide their youngster up when that college day ends. And there are households who’re in mourning proper now,” mentioned Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“The state of Texas is in mourning with them for the fact that these dad and mom usually are not going to have the ability to decide up their kids.”

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The scholars killed have been primarily third- and fourth-graders, in accordance with regulation enforcement sources. Amongst them was Amerie jo Garza, who simply celebrated her tenth birthday two weeks in the past, in accordance with her father, Angel.

“My little love is now flying excessive with the angels above,” he wrote in a press release to ABC Information. “Please do not take a second without any consideration. Hug your loved ones. Inform them you’re keen on them. I really like you Amerie jo.”

The 18-year-old suspect, Salvador Ramos, a scholar at Uvalde Excessive Faculty, can be lifeless, Abbott mentioned, including that Ramos “shot and killed horrifically and incomprehensibly.”

WATCH: Particulars emerge about suspected gunman after Texas taking pictures

Sources mentioned that the gunman first shot his grandmother at a separate scene. Authorities initially mentioned the grandmother was killed however later mentioned she was in important situation.

Then he crashed his automobile outdoors of the college and emerged with an AR-15-style rifle, in accordance with a number of regulation enforcement sources.

Sources say he legally bought two AR-style rifles on Could 22, simply two days earlier than the taking pictures and 6 days after his 18th birthday. Authorities have recovered the weapons, physique armor the suspect was carrying and quite a few magazines and are analyzing the proof, sources mentioned.

The suspect was instantly engaged outdoors the constructing as he approached the college by a Uvalde Impartial Faculty District police officer, who was shot by the suspect, the sources mentioned.

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After that, the suspect entered the college and allegedly opened fireplace, killing 19 college students, who have been primarily third- and fourth-graders, in addition to one trainer, the sources mentioned. Regulation enforcement imagine he was within the constructing for roughly 40 minutes to an hour after that first encounter with a useful resource officer outdoors the college.

He traded gunfire with Uvalde ISD officer and Border Patrol Tactical Unit brokers, a lot of whom have kids who attend the college, in accordance with the sources. The Border Patrol brokers responded to a regulation enforcement request for help.

Investigators are going via ballistics to find out who fired the shot that killed the suspect.

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A fourth-grade scholar who was inside the college on the time described the horror of the taking pictures in an interview with ABC Information. He mentioned the scholars heard banging on a window after which the trainer noticed the shooter.

“She mentioned, ‘Oh, my God, there is a there is a gun.’ After which she she mentioned it was like a giant one like {that a} huge gun — she mentioned, hurry up and get on the ground,” the coed recounted. “We simply hear every kind of gunshots going off, like nonstop, like consistently gunshots. After which we’re over right here all scared. What — on the bottom fearing for our lives.”

A number of social media customers interviewed by ABC Information mentioned the accused shooter reportedly despatched movies and images of weapons to different customers on numerous social media platforms. Regulation enforcement has been made conscious of and is reviewing screenshots of alleged messages from the suspect to at least one Instagram person, who posted them publicly on her account after the taking pictures.

Abbott additionally mentioned the shooter made three “social media posts” about half-hour earlier than the Robb Elementary Faculty assault, however a spokesperson from Meta mentioned “the messages Gov. Abbott described have been personal one-to-one textual content messages that have been found after the horrible tragedy occurred.”

In keeping with the governor, Ramos wrote that he was going to shoot his grandmother, then that he had shot the girl, and eventually that he was going to shoot an elementary college.

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Two responding cops have been amongst these injured, Abbott mentioned. They’re anticipated to outlive, he mentioned. One of many Border Patrol brokers sustained accidents whereas attempting to guard college students and is on the hospital recovering, Del Rio Sector Chief Jason D. Owens advised ABC Information.

Three adults and three kids injured within the Texas elementary college taking pictures stay hospitalized on Wednesday.

Uvalde Memorial Hospital initially obtained 13 kids as sufferers. Two of them died and three have been transferred to San Antonio for remedy, the hospital mentioned. The situations of the others was not instantly clear. A forty five-year-old was additionally hospitalized after getting grazed by a bullet, the hospital mentioned.

College Well being in San Antonio mentioned it had 4 sufferers from the taking pictures incident — three college students and an grownup girl. A 66-year-old girl and 10-year-old lady have been in important situation.

WATCH: President Biden says ‘we’ve got to behave’ after Texas college taking pictures

Two grownup victims of the taking pictures, each in important situation, are additionally being handled at Brooke Military Medical Middle in San Antonio, in accordance with an Army official.

A variety of the taking pictures victims are kids of Customs and Border Patrol brokers, regulation enforcement sources advised ABC Information.

Earlier, the Uvalde Consolidated Impartial Faculty District had mentioned a shooter was positioned at Robb Elementary Faculty and requested folks to steer clear of the world.

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“There may be an energetic shooter at Robb Elementary,” the college district mentioned on Twitter. “Regulation enforcement is on website. Your cooperation is required presently by not visiting the campus. As quickly as extra info is gathered will probably be shared.”

The taking pictures occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m. native time, police mentioned.

The college, which has college students within the second, third and fourth grades, informed parents shortly after 2 p.m. that college students had been transported to the Sgt. Willie Deleon Civic Middle, the reunification website, and might be picked up.

Mother or father Ryan Ramirez advised San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT he had gone to the civic middle and the elementary college looking for his fourth grade daughter within the wake of the taking pictures.

“[I’m] simply confused and fearful. I am looking for out the place my child’s at,” he advised the station.

The Houston Area Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also said it’s helping within the investigation.

Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been briefed on the state of affairs and the company “is actively coordinating with federal, state, and native companions,” a spokesperson mentioned. Customs and Border Safety officers within the space additionally responded to the scene.

The Nationwide Counterterrorism Operations Middle believes there’s “no recognized terrorism nexus” presently, in accordance with a regulation enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC Information.

The variety of folks injured or killed doesn’t embrace the suspect or perpetrator. These graphics present the variety of victims throughout all mass shootings since 20 kids and 6 adults have been shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty in Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012.

ABC Information’ Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Jack Date, Nicholas Kerr and Mireya Villarreal contributed to this report.