What we know about the Texas School Shooting
Since Sandy Hook a decade ago, it is the deadliest primary school shooting in the United States. This is what we are aware of.
What happened?
The shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in south-west Texas about 11:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. AEST) on Tuesday.
A gunman, aged 18, exited his car and began fire on the school.
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The teen wrecked in a ditch near the school, according to Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
He claimed authorities saw the gunman, who was wearing body armour and carrying a weapon, emerge from the crash with a firearm and “engaged” the suspect, who then charged inside the school and opened fire.
“Unfortunately, he was able to enter the premises, and from there that’s when he went on and entered several classrooms and started shooting,” he said.
The shooter was likely killed by responding authorities, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, although the incident is still being reviewed.
Mr. Abbott identified him as Salvador Ramos, 18, who was armed with a handgun and maybe a rifle.
Border Patrol agents responded to the site, according to Homeland Security assistant secretary of public relations Marsha Espinosa, and at least one was injured.
Chief of Police Pete Arredondo of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District stated the gunman acted alone and that the crime scene was “still being worked on.”
“Let me assure you that the invader is dead, and [police] are not actively searching for any additional suspects in this instance,” he stated.
The reason for the shooting is yet unknown.
What did the President say?
President Joe Biden told reporters this morning that he was “sick and tired” of the atrocities and that it was time to act.
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He said, “Don’t tell me we can’t make a difference in this slaughter.”
He claimed mass shootings like these “rarely happen anywhere else in the world” and will have a lasting impression on the children and families.
“For God’s sake, see their buddies perish as if they were on a battlefield. They’ll have to live with it for the rest of their days “he continued.
Who are the victims?
Robb Elementary School, which serves the second, third, and fourth grades and is located in a primarily residential neighbourhood, has little under 600 students.
The victims’ exact ages have not yet been revealed.
The number of those injured was not immediately known.
The institution is located in Uvalde, a community of roughly 16,000 inhabitants about halfway between San Antonio and the Mexican border.
The school remains heavily policed, with officers directing traffic and FBI agents entering and exiting the facility.
The incident occurred two days before school was to end for the summer break, and the superintendent of the school system has ordered that all school activities in the area be cancelled.
Is this the deadliest school shooting ever?
The shooting is the bloodiest in Texas history.
A gunman killed ten people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston region four years ago.
In 2012, a highly armed gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, killing 26 people, including 20 children aged five to ten.
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According to the FBI, there were 61 “active shooter” events in the United States last year.
From the numbers from 2021, the number of attacks, casualties, and geographic dispersion has increased.
So far, who has stated what?
The assailant “shot and killed terribly, incomprehensibly” the students and a teacher, according to Mr Abbott.
“I want you to know that what happened in Uvalde was a tragic tragedy that the state of Texas cannot allow,” he added.
Mr Biden had previously ordered that US flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and other public buildings until May 28 “as a gesture of respect for the victims.”
After the shooting, Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, who previously represented the Sandy Hook area in Congress, made an emotional plea to his colleagues to finally adopt legislation to address the country’s ongoing gun violence epidemic.
