19 kids, 2 teachers killed in Texas elementary school shooting; Alleged gunman texted friend before

Two academics had been additionally amongst these killed at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde, in line with authorities.

Previous to opening hearth on the faculty, the suspect additionally allegedly shot his grandmother, officers mentioned.

MORE: What we find out about Texas elementary faculty taking pictures victims up to now

The alleged gunman — recognized by authorities as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a pupil at Uvalde Excessive College — is useless.

How the Uvalde taking pictures unfolded

On Tuesday morning, Ramos shot his 66-year-old grandmother within the head at their residence, and she or he was in a position to run throughout the road and name police, Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Division of Public Security, mentioned. She was taken to the hospital through helicopter and remains to be in important situation, he mentioned.

Ramos drove about 2 miles to Robb Elementary in his grandmother’s truck crashing the car exterior the college, McCraw mentioned. He exits the car with a backpack and rifle, authorities mentioned.

TIMELINE: A take a look at Uvalde shooter’s actions day of bloodbath

The gunman went towards the west facet of the campus, which is a again door, however as he was approaching the door, a Uvalde Unbiased College District police officer tried to confront the gunman him, McCraw mentioned. Ramos shot the college district officer, authorities mentioned.

At one level, college students heard banging on a window earlier than their instructor noticed the shooter with a “large gun,” a fourth-grade pupil who was inside the college on the time mentioned in an interview with ABC Information, describing the “nonstop” gunshots that adopted. After Ramos entered the college via a again door, he went right into a classroom that was linked internally to a second classroom and started taking pictures, authorities mentioned.

Legislation enforcement then converged into the classroom and Ramos was shot and killed by an officer, authorities mentioned. He was killed roughly 40 minutes to an hour after his first encounter with the college useful resource officer.

For responding officers, together with Border Patrol Brokers, this was private. Many had their very own youngsters in hurt’s means.

MORE: Onlookers urged police to cost into Texas faculty after taking pictures started, witnesses say

No less than one agent with the elite Border Patrol Tactical Unit shot the gunman, though it is unclear who amongst them killed him, the official mentioned.

“Risking their very own lives, these Border Patrol Brokers and different officers put themselves between the shooter and youngsters on the scene to attract the shooter’s consideration away from potential victims and save lives,” Marsha Espinosa, the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs on the Division of Homeland Safety, tweeted.

What we find out about Salvador Ramos

The mom of the 18-year-old gunman informed ABC Information in an interview that her son was “not a monster,” however that he may “be aggressive.”

“I had an uneasy feeling typically, like ‘what are you as much as?” Adriana Reyes informed ABC Information’ Chief Nationwide Correspondent Matt Gutman in an interview at her dwelling. “He could be aggressive… If he actually received mad.”

Ramos turned 18 9 days in the past and allegedly bought an AR-15-style rifle simply someday after his birthday. Three days later, he purchased a second one, and 4 days after that, he used them to hold out the second-deadliest faculty taking pictures in U.S. historical past, authorities mentioned.

Ramos’ grandfather informed Gutman he did not know his grandson had weapons.

“If I’d have recognized, I’d have reported it,” Rolando Reyes mentioned.

Messages obtained by ABC Information additionally reveal a chilling warning simply minutes earlier than the taking pictures.

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

Moments earlier than finishing up the lethal assault at Robb Elementary, Ramos allegedly despatched a string of messages to a younger lady he met on-line, detailing that he had shot his grandmother and was heading to the college for his subsequent goal, in line with messages reviewed by ABC Information.

The messages allegedly present Ramos texting with a 15-year-old in Germany who he met on the social media platform Yubo, describing an argument he was having along with his grandmother over a telephone invoice earlier than texting, “I shot my grandmother within the head” and “ima go shoot up a elementary faculty rn.”

“She’s on the telephone with AT&T,” Ramos allegedly wrote at 11:06 a.m., whereas referring to his grandmother with a derogatory time period.

“Ima do one thing to her rn,” he mentioned in one other alleged message. Minutes later, the gunman allegedly wrote, “I shot my grandmother within the head” earlier than instantly including “ima go shoot up a elementary faculty rn.”

The good friend didn’t reply to the accused gunman’s messages till information broke relating to the taking pictures, in line with the screenshot reviewed by ABC Information. Legislation enforcement sources inform ABC Information the messages are a part of the continued investigation into the shooter.

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Ramos additionally allegedly dedicated animal abuse and displayed movies of the cruelty to customers on a social media platform, in line with two customers who spoke to ABC Information.

In some cases, the alleged animal abuse was dedicated in public after which posted for on-line viewing, and Ramos allegedly boasted about how he and his pals did it “on a regular basis,” in line with one person.

The allegations of animal abuse are much like what authorities have realized about Payton Gendron, the white 18-year-old suspect in who allegedly dedicated the Could 14 racially motivated mass taking pictures at a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 Black folks useless.

ALSO READ: Beto O’Rourke interrupts Texas Gov. Abbott at Uvalde information convention, calls taking pictures ‘completely predictable’

Who’re the victims?

A fourth-grade instructor, a number of units of cousins and a 10-year-old boy whose household known as him “the lifetime of the social gathering” had been amongst these killed in a mass taking pictures at a Texas elementary faculty on Tuesday, ABC Information has realized.

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

ABC Information has confirmed the identities of 13 victims:

• Eva Mireles, instructor
• Xavier James Lopez, 10
• Amerie Jo Garza, 10
• Rojelio Torres, 10
• Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10
• Jailah Nicole Silguero, 11
• Eliahana Cruz Torres
• Annabell Rodriguez, 10
• Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, 10
• Irma Garcia, instructor
• Uziyah Garcia
• Alithia Ramirez
• Makenna Lee Elrod, 10

TAKE ACTION: Sources for survivors and victims of gun violence

The varsity superintendent ended the college 12 months early in mild of the bloodbath.

“My coronary heart was damaged in the present day. We’re a small neighborhood and we are going to want your prayers to get us via this,” Dr. Hal Harrell, the district superintendent, mentioned.

Texas faculty taking pictures seventh deadliest mass taking pictures in latest US historical past

The Uvalde faculty taking pictures joins the grim ranks of almost a dozen different mass shootings which have taken place at music festivals, nightclubs and different faculties up to now almost quarter-century in America’s unparalleled gun violence epidemic.

SEE ALSO: Mass shootings within the U.S. have almost tripled since 2013, knowledge reveals

The incident makes it the second-deadliest taking pictures at an elementary, center or highschool in U.S. historical past — behind the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures in 2012 — and the seventh-deadliest taking pictures within the nation because the Columbine Excessive College bloodbath in 1999.

Tuesday’s horror comes on the heels of yet one more lethal mass taking pictures in Buffalo, New York, and amid a fast rise in energetic shooter incidents throughout the nation.

These are the mass shootings with the best demise tolls in latest American historical past, based mostly on an ABC Information evaluation.

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