At least fifteen people have been killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. The shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was killed on the scene by responding officers.
While details are still emerging, Ramos reportedly killed his grandmother before traveling to the school where he then opened fire, ran inside the building, and barricaded himself inside a classroom.
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Of those killed, 14 are children and one is a teacher.
“It’s believed that he abandoned his vehicle and entered into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and he may have also had a rifle, but that is not yet confirmed according to my most recent report,” Abbot said in a press conference, according to CNN.
He added: “What happened in Uvalde is a horrific tragedy that cannot be tolerated in the state of Texas. There is swift action being taken by local law enforcement.”
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in Texas has canceled all activities in the wake of the shooting.
A press conference where more details are expected to be announced is reportedly scheduled for 6:00 PM, ET. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has announced that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and will address the country, later tonight.
The shooting comes just one week after 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron murdered 10 people in Buffalo, New York, in a racially motivated attack.
[Via]