Gripped with grief and worry, families in Uvalde, Texas are struggling to make sense of the massacre at Robb Elementary School.
Overnight, distraught families paced the grounds at the town’s civic center, waiting for hours to identify their children.
The attack unfolded Tuesday morning shortly after 11:30 a.m.
According to law enforcement, the suspect, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, shot his grandmother in the head before taking her car and crashing it outside the school.
That triggered a response from a Uvalde school police officer, who was shot by the suspect.
Investigators say the suspect was wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15 style rifle.
According to authorities, the suspect then went into the school, entered into a classroom and barricaded himself before opening fire on teachers, students and responding officers.
Adolfo Hernandez said his nephew was across the hall from the classroom where it happened and witnessed the shooting.
“My nephew was telling us they were hearing commotion at the backdoor, after they started hearing the commotion they heard gun shots,” Hernandez said.
The suspect was fatally shot by police.
Two officers were injured in that shootout, but both are expected to survive.
The suspect’s grandmother is also expected to survive. His grandfather, Ronald Reyes, spoke with ABC’s Matt Gutman, who asked if he noticed that his grandson was growing disturbed or that he was becoming upset.
“He was very quiet,” Reyes replied.
Authorities say the suspect legally purchased the two rifles six days after his 18th birthday, which was two days before the shooting.
He also purchased body armor.
Investigators are also trying to piece together a motive and combing through social media posts allegedly made by the shooter.
President Joe Biden has ordered all flags on federal land to fly at half-staff in honor of the victims. He also expressed anger over the senseless violence.
“I’d hoped, when I became President, I would not have to do this again,” Biden said. “Another massacre. How many scores of little children who witnessed what happened, see their friends die, as if they’re in a battlefield for God’s sake. They’ll live with it for the rest of their lives.”
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Overnight, distraught families paced the grounds at the town’s civic center, waiting for hours to identify their children.
The attack unfolded Tuesday morning shortly after 11:30 a.m.
According to law enforcement, the suspect, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, shot his grandmother in the head before taking her car and crashing it outside the school.
That triggered a response from a Uvalde school police officer, who was shot by the suspect.
Investigators say the suspect was wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15 style rifle.
According to authorities, the suspect then went into the school, entered into a classroom and barricaded himself before opening fire on teachers, students and responding officers.
Adolfo Hernandez said his nephew was across the hall from the classroom where it happened and witnessed the shooting.
“My nephew was telling us they were hearing commotion at the backdoor, after they started hearing the commotion they heard gun shots,” Hernandez said.
The suspect was fatally shot by police.
Two officers were injured in that shootout, but both are expected to survive.
The suspect’s grandmother is also expected to survive. His grandfather, Ronald Reyes, spoke with ABC’s Matt Gutman, who asked if he noticed that his grandson was growing disturbed or that he was becoming upset.
“He was very quiet,” Reyes replied.
Authorities say the suspect legally purchased the two rifles six days after his 18th birthday, which was two days before the shooting.
He also purchased body armor.
Investigators are also trying to piece together a motive and combing through social media posts allegedly made by the shooter.
President Joe Biden has ordered all flags on federal land to fly at half-staff in honor of the victims. He also expressed anger over the senseless violence.
“I’d hoped, when I became President, I would not have to do this again,” Biden said. “Another massacre. How many scores of little children who witnessed what happened, see their friends die, as if they’re in a battlefield for God’s sake. They’ll live with it for the rest of their lives.”
Continue reading...