UVALDE, Texas, May 25, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The death toll in the Texas school shooting massacre is growing.
According to a statement Tuesday night by the Texas Department of Public Safety, 19 elementary school children and two adults have died in the attack, carried out at 11:34 a.m. Tuesday by a rifle-toting gunman in the small southwest town of Uvalde, Texas.
The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a student at Uvalde High School, died in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers, including a US Border Patrol agent, who had responded to the scene.
Police say the border agent shot and killed Ramos when he joined members of a tactical response team as they entered Robb Elementary School where the 18-year-old shooter was barricaded.
Investigators with TDPS said that prior to the school attack Ramos shot and critically wounded his grandmother, who was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital with life threatening injuries. She remained in critical condition Tuesday night.
The TDPS said after shooting his grandmother Ramos drove to the school where he crashed his truck in a nearby culvert. Emerging from the vehicle carrying a long gun, a black bag, and wearing body armor, Ramos engaged police officers before making his way into the elementary school.
Investigators said Ramos posted photos of two AR15-style weapons on an Instagram account three days prior to the attack. A cryptic message on his TikTok simply said: “Kids be scared irl,” meaning in real life.
The two adult victims have been identified as teachers. Family members told CNN, Eva Mireles, 44, a fourth-grade teacher, died in Tuesday’s attack. The Daily Mail reported a second teacher, Irma Garcia, 46, was also identified as a victim by family and friends.
Uvalde, with a population of about 16,122 (2020), is about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as this story develops.
