Officials in the city of Uvalde, Texas, say at least 18 children and two adults were killed in the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School. The school is located about 80 miles west of San Antonio. Uvalde is a town of about 16,000 people located about 75 miles from the border with Mexico. The Uvalde school district is under Secure Status. A message left for comment has not yet been returned.
President Joe Biden is slated to speak about the Texas school shooting when he returns to the White House on Tuesday. Biden has tweeted prayers for the victims. He will speak from the Roosevelt Room of the White House at 8:15 p.m. ET. In the meantime, he has urged the nation to stand with Texas. Here is his statement:
President Biden called it “another massacre.” He called for renewed efforts to pass gun control laws. In his speech, Biden lamented that “we still have a long way to go.” The president also urged his countrymen to take action against the proliferation of guns. The school was in Uvalde, a small city located 85 miles west of San Antonio. It is home to about 500 students. Two of the dead and the injured were identified as a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl.
Earlier, Ramos had driven to school and crashed his truck outside Robb Elementary School. He then exited the vehicle and entered the school armed with an AR-15 style rifle and several magazines. A school resource officer from the Uvalde Independent School District then engaged Ramos and shot him multiple times.
The gunman’s death toll has been climbed to 14 while the number of victims is expected to rise. Two responding officers were also hit by gunfire. While the gunman’s motive for the massacre has not yet been determined, the suspect appeared to be a lone wolf.
The governor of Texas has also addressed the tragedy. Governor Greg Abbott is due to attend an NRA leadership forum. While he has been largely silent on the issue of gun control since the Sandy Hook school shooting, he acknowledged the tragedy in a tweet to his wife, Heidi.
The senator also praised law enforcement officers and first responders. However, Republicans have been hesitant to talk about gun policy. It’s too early to make sweeping changes.
