14 children killed during elementary school shooting, Gov. Abbott says

UVALDE, Texas (AP/KXAN) — Fourteen students and a teacher were killed during a Texas school shooting at an elementary school Tuesday afternoon, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Thursday was the last day of school for the district before summer break.

Speaking in Abilene, Abbott said the shooter, who he identified as 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos from Uvalde, is dead. The chief of police for the school district said they believe the shooter acted alone.

“I can confirm right now that we have several injuries, adults and students and we do have some deaths. The suspect is deceased at this point,” said Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo. Law enforcement did not take questions or say how many people had been wounded or killed at Robb Elementary School in a Tuesday afternoon press conference.

Abbott said the shooter was killed by responding officers. Two officers sustained non-serious injuries during the shooting, I added.

It is believed the shooter entered the elementary school with a handgun and possibly a rifle, Abbott said, though details surrounding a possible rifle are unconfirmed. Abbott added reporting said the shooter had shot his grandmother before entering the school, but he said he had no additional information related to this.

Abbott said the Uvalde CISD Police Department is the primary investigating agency but offered investigative and patrol assistance from state resources. The governor said investigators will look into what specific weapons were used and the legal authority the shooter had to possess those weapons. The Texas Department of Public Safety is also involved, according to the UCISD chief of police.

According to the UCISD website, the police department for the small school district has half a dozen employees: Four police officers, one detective/lieutenant and a chief of police. In a 2020-21 preventative security measures document, it says UCISD secondary campuses have staff who “patrol door entrances, parking lots and perimeters of the campuses.”

“When parents drop their kids off at school, they have every expectation to know that they’re going to be able to pick their child up when that school day ends,” Abbott said.

At least two hospitals are treating patients, according to posts from the hospitals. Uvalde Memorial Hospital said in a Facebook post that it was caring for “several students” in its emergency room. Another hospital, University Health, said it was treating a child and an adult patient from Robb Elementary.

At least 13 children were taken to the hospital, according to a Facebook post from Uvalde Memorial Hospital.

According to a release from the White House, President Biden will give a briefing on the shooting at 7:15 pm CT. Biden has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff.

Texas school shooting: A timeline

The chief of police for UCISD said that shooting started around 11:30 am At that point, the district locked down schools in the area because of “gunshots.”

Around 12:15 pm Tuesday, UCISD posted that an active shooter was reported at Robb Elementary School, which has an enrollment of just under 600 students. The police chief said in a brief news conference that students from second to fourth grade attend the school.

For students at nearby schools, UCISD said “parents should pick up students at the regular dismissal times at the child’s campus. Officers will be on site to escort students to the cars.”

Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San Antonio.