Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated Wednesday that the gunman who opened hearth at an elementary college in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 kids and two academics, posted on Fb simply earlier than the taking pictures that he was going to assault a faculty. The gunman, recognized as an 18-year-old man from the realm, was killed by regulation enforcement, police stated.
Abbott stated the gunman posted three messages on Fb earlier than the assault: as soon as, about half-hour earlier than the college taking pictures, to say he was going to shoot his grandmother, as soon as to say he had shot his grandmother, and a 3rd time — roughly quarter-hour earlier than the taking pictures — to say he was going to open hearth at an elementary college.
Fb said the posts “have been non-public one-to-one textual content messages that have been found after the horrible tragedy occurred,” and that the corporate is “intently cooperating with regulation enforcement.”
Authorities stated the gunman shot his 66-year-old grandmother within the face earlier than the college taking pictures. She contacted police and the suspect fled, later crashing his grandmother’s automobile a couple of block from the college. He then exited the automobile and took a backpack and one rifle with him.
A district police officer engaged the gunman when he arrived on the college, however the shooter was in a position to enter a again door, journey down two quick hallways and enter a classroom, which was linked internally to a different classroom, Abbott stated.
The gunman then barricaded himself within the classroom, Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Division Public Security instructed “CBS Mornings.”
“At that time, [he] simply began taking pictures kids and academics that have been inside that classroom, having no regard for human life,” Olivarez stated. “Only a full tragedy. An evil particular person going into the college and killing kids for no cause in any way.”
BRANDON BELL / Getty Photographs
Texas Division of Public Security Director Steven McCraw stated the gunman bought two semi-automatic rifles and ammunition at a neighborhood sporting items retailer, certainly one of which he introduced with him into the college. McCraw stated the suspect obtained the weapons in March on the press convention, however the Division of Public Security later confirmed he purchased the weapons on Could 17 and Could 20.
Olivarez stated the officers who first responded to the scene “have been at a degree of drawback” and weren’t in a position to make entry.
“There was no means they have been in a position to make entry, particularly with the quantity of manpower that was on scene,” he stated. “So at that time, their major focus was to evacuate as many kids as potential.”
A specialised tactical unit made from native, state and federal regulation enforcement officers have been ultimately in a position to enter the classroom, authorities stated. Three officers have been injured, and all are in good situation, Abbott stated.
McCraw recommended the officers who engaged the shooter earlier than the tactical unit entered, saying they saved lives by retaining him “pinned down” at his location.
“Clearly this can be a state of affairs we failed within the sense that we did not forestall this mass assault — however I can let you know, these officers that arrived on the scene and put their lives in peril, they saved different children,” he stated. “They saved him pinned down, and we’re very pleased with that.”
Abbott on Wednesday heralded the “wonderful braveness” of regulation enforcement, for “working towards gunfire for the singular function of attempting to save lots of lives.”
He famous that one sheriff’s deputy misplaced a daughter within the taking pictures.
“Evil swept throughout Uvalde yesterday,” Abbott stated. “Days earlier than yesterday, when these kids have been at school, some have been receiving awards for excellent attendance — these children won’t ever attend college once more.”
Abbott stated 17 different individuals sustained non-life threatening accidents within the taking pictures.
Abbott on Tuesday recognized the gunman as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. On Wednesday, Abbott stated the gunman was reportedly a highschool dropout with no legal historical past and no documented psychological well being issues. Abbott stated there was “no significant forewarning,” apart from the Fb messages.
Two regulation enforcement officers instructed CBS Information that the gunman received right into a combat together with his grandmother on Tuesday morning earlier than the taking pictures. Preliminary data suggests the combat was over who would pay a cellphone invoice. Officers pressured that the data is preliminary and they’re investigating it additional.
The assault was the deadliest mass taking pictures at an elementary college since a gunman killed 26 individuals, together with 20 first-graders, at Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty in 2012. Many, together with President Biden, invoked Sandy Hook and the many mass shootings which have adopted to name for stronger gun legal guidelines.
“As a nation, we’ve to ask, when in God’s identify are we going to face as much as the gun foyer?” Mr. Biden stated in an handle from the White Home Tuesday evening. “When in God’s identify will we do what everyone knows in our intestine must be executed?”
