19 kids, 2 teachers killed in Texas school shooting; mother of gunman says son was ‘not a monster’

Two lecturers have been additionally amongst these killed at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, in keeping with authorities.

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

MORE: What we find out about Texas elementary college capturing victims up to now

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

How the Uvalde capturing unfolded

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

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

TIMELINE: A have 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 Faculty District police officer tried to confront the gunman him, McCraw mentioned. Ramos shot the varsity district officer, authorities mentioned.

At one level, college students heard banging on a window earlier than their trainer noticed the shooter with a “massive gun,” a fourth-grade pupil who was inside the varsity on the time mentioned in an interview with ABC Information, describing the “nonstop” gunshots that adopted. After Ramos entered the varsity by way of a again door, he went right into a classroom that was linked internally to a second classroom and commenced capturing, 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 varsity useful resource officer.

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

MORE: Onlookers urged police to cost into Texas college after capturing started, witnesses say

A minimum of 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 kids 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 advised ABC Information in an interview that her son was “not a monster,” however that he might “be aggressive.”

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

WATCH: Mom of Texas college capturing suspect speaks out; new textual content messages increase questions

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 college capturing in U.S. historical past, authorities mentioned.

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

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

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

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

WATCH: President Biden says ‘we’ve to behave’ after Texas college capturing

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 together with his grandmother over a telephone invoice earlier than texting, “I shot my grandmother within the head” and “ima go shoot up a elementary college 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 college rn.”

The pal didn’t reply to the accused gunman’s messages till information broke relating to the capturing, in keeping 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 keeping with two customers who spoke to ABC Information.

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

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 capturing at a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 Black individuals useless.

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

Who’re the victims?

A fourth-grade trainer, a number of units of cousins and a 10-year-old boy whose household referred to as him “the lifetime of the get together” have been amongst these killed in a mass capturing at a Texas elementary college 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 decide their little one up when that college day ends. And there are households who’re in mourning proper now,” Gov. Greg Abbott advised reporters.

ABC Information has confirmed the identities of 13 victims:

• Eva Mireles, trainer
• 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, trainer
• Uziyah Garcia
• Alithia Ramirez
• Makenna Lee Elrod, 10
• Ellie Garcia
• Nevaeh Bravo, 10

TAKE ACTION: Sources for survivors and victims of gun violence

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

“My coronary heart was damaged as we speak. We’re a small group and we are going to want your prayers to get us by way of this,” Dr. Hal Harrell, the district superintendent, mentioned.

Texas college capturing seventh deadliest mass capturing in current US historical past

The Uvalde college capturing joins the grim ranks of almost a dozen different mass shootings which have taken place at music festivals, nightclubs and different faculties prior 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, information exhibits

The incident makes it the second-deadliest capturing at an elementary, center or highschool in U.S. historical past — behind the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing in 2012 — and the seventh-deadliest capturing within the nation for the reason that Columbine Excessive Faculty bloodbath in 1999.

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

These are the mass shootings with the best loss of life tolls in current American historical past, primarily based on an ABC Information evaluation.

The variety of individuals injured or killed doesn’t embody 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.