UVALDE, Texas — The nation was shaken once again on Tuesday following a deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. At least 19 children and 2 adults were killed, Texas officials confirmed.
The governor also announced Tuesday afternoon that the suspect in the shooting was dead, contrary to initial reports from Uvalde police that the shooter was in police custody. The suspect was killed by law enforcement officers responding to the scene, authorities said.
Who is the Texas school shooting suspect?
The governor identified the suspected shooter as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who he said was a local to Uvalde.
The city is about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
Uvalde County police said at a press conference that investigators believe the suspect had acted alone.
According to ATF paperwork, Ramos likely lived with his grandmother, reporter Tony Plohetski reports.
Ramos had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police. He said that the gunman “suggested the kids should watch out” and that he had bought two “assault weapons” after turning 18.
Ramos had legally purchased two AR platform rifles on May 17 and May 20 from a "local federal firearms licensee," according to a briefing given to Texas Sen. John Whitmire.
On May 18, the suspect bought 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, according to the briefing.
Investigators believe Ramos posted photos on Instagram of two guns he used in the shooting.
Ramos shot his grandmother before heading to the school, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say he was wearing a plate carrier with no ballistic armor. His grandmother, who apparently had worked at the school until 2020, survived the shooting.
Ramos crashed his truck before entering the school. One of the rifles he'd purchased was found inside that truck, according to Whitmire's briefing.
Authorities said Ramos barricaded himself inside a single classroom and “began shooting anyone that was in his way,” authorities said Wednesday. Responding officers eventually broke into the classroom and killed the suspect.
As of Wednesday, 19 children and two adults were dead. All of the victims were in a single classroom, according to Texas DPS. An unidentified number of people remained hospitalized with injuries.
Robb Elementary School has an enrollment of just under 600 students and Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo said it serves students in the second, third and fourth grade. He did not say what grades the children that were shot are in.
It was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and occurred four years after a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.