Authorities say the death toll from a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school shooting now stands at 19 children and two teacher, after a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Uvalde is located about 85 miles west of San Antonio and about 50 miles east of the Mexican border. At least six victims had been publicly identified by family members: third grade student Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10; and fourth graders Uziyah Garcia; Xavier Lopez, 10; and Amerie Jo Garza, 9; were among the 19 students killed, relatives confirmed to news outlets. Family members also identified the two teachers as Eva Mireles, a 17-year educator who taught fourth grade, and Irma Garcia, who taught at the school for 23 years.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after the mass shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott identified the shooter as Salvador Ramos, a resident of Uvalde. He said the 18-year-old was killed by law enforcement officers, two of whom also sustained minor injuries. Abbott said Ramos entered the school with a handgun and possibly a rifle. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the suspect shot his grandmother before he drove toward the school; after he apparently crashed nearby, he went to the campus and opened fire.
The assault at Robb Elementary School was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago. Hal Harrell, the school district superintendent, announcing that all school activities were canceled until further notice, saying: “My heart is broken today. We’re a small community, and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this.”
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