Gulf Today/ The Independent

A teenage gunman “barricaded himself inside a classroom” before murdering at least nineteen children and two teachers in a shooting at a Texas primary school, a lieutenant has said.

The gunman has been named as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was shot dead, apparently by officers at the scene.

Two of the victims of the shooting were fourth-grade teachers:

-Eva Mireles

-Irma Garcia

Local enforcement officers reportedly tried to get into the school but were faced by gunfire. A first responder told CNN that it was around thirty minutes before officers “neutralised” the shooter.
Eight children who were killed in the attack have been named:

-Uziyah Garcia, 8.

-Amerie Jo Garza, 10.

-Makenna Lee Elrod, 10.

-Xavier Javier Lopez, 10.

-Jose Flores, 10.

-Navaeh Brown, 10.

-Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10.

-Ellie Lugo, 10.

After the attack, Joe Biden urged Congress to end the “carnage” of gun violence in America, saying: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?”

‘A completely evil person’: Texas lieutenant gives further details on shooting

A spokesperson for the Texas Department for Public Safety, Lt Chris Olivarez, has said that the gunman “barricaded himself” inside a classroom in the school and began to shoot children and teachers.

He told NBC that “local law enforcement, school officers, as well as state troopers, who were first on scene and were able to hear the actual gunshots inside the classroom.”

“They tried to make entry into the building. They were met with gunfire by the suspect, by the shooter,” he added. “Some of those officers were shot. At that point they began breaking windows around the school, trying to evacuate children, teachers, anybody they could, to try to get them out of that building, out of that school.

“What we do know, at that point, the shooter was able to make entry into a classroom, barricaded himself inside that classroom. And again, just begin shooting numerous children and teachers that were in that classroom. Having no regard for human life, just a completely evil person.”

Tactical law enforcement then arrived who were able to make forcible entry to the classroom, after being met with gunfire.

A first responder told CNN that it was around thirty minutes before the shooter was “neutralised.”

Prior to shooting students

Before carrying out the operation, the shooter sent a message to a friend showing the purchase of two rifles from an online seller.
It contained a picture of the purchase invoice showing that he had paid $1,870 for the purchase of two rifles.

The media added that the gunman bought two assault rifles on his birthday a few days ago, and posted frightening posts on his Instagram account hours before the massacre.

The media went on to tell the details about the killer, and said that after he shot his grandmother, he rammed his car near the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde at about 11:30 am local time.

The authorities also confirmed that the attacker was a local resident, and acted alone, and that he left his car near the school, whose area is 120 kilometers from the border with Mexico, a school that houses 500 students, aged 7 to 10 years.

Opened fire on everyone

The media quoted a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Chris Olivares, as saying that "as soon as he entered the school, he started shooting children and teachers, whoever was in his way... He was shooting everyone."

The spokesman added that after the shooting, the killer's accounts via Instagram and "Tik Tok" were deleted by the competent authorities.

In response to this massacre, US President Joe Biden addressed a speech in which he called on the United States to stand up to the gun lobby, and asked: "When, for God's sake, will we stand up to the gun lobby?"

"It's time to turn this pain into action, for every parent, for every citizen of this country," Biden continued. “We must make it clear to every elected official in this country that it is time to act.”

“I'm tired of this”

He added, “I am tired of this. We have to act and stop these massacres.” A child cannot go and buy a gun, that's wrong. We must stand up to these actions.”