The fact: A young man killed 19 school children and at least two adults at a primary school in the US state of Texas on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Ministry of Internal Security, the suspect first shot his grandmother in the face in his apartment – she survived. The shooter then drove to the school in a car and caused an accident there. The young man, wearing a protective vest and carrying a backpack and gun, entered the school and opened fire. He raged until security forces shot him.
All of the fatalities were in a classroom where the perpetrator had previously barricaded himself, police spokesman Chris Olivarez said.
Alleged perpetrator: According to initial findings, the gunman is an 18-year-old. According to investigators, he had bought two assault rifles and ammunition in a shop in March.
According to Abbott, the shooter had no criminal record. However, it is not certain whether the gunman had any entries as a young person. That still has to be determined. Mental illnesses are not known, according to Abbott. The shooter’s grandfather told ABC that his grandson didn’t talk much. “He was very calm.”
CNN reported that the gunman also texted a girl from Germany shortly before the massacre. The 15-year-old is said to have been in contact with the shooter since the beginning of May, as the broadcaster reported, citing chat logs and a conversation with the teenager from Frankfurt am Main.
The place: The bloody crime happened at Robb Elementary School in the small town of Uvalde. The town of 16,000 near San Antonio in Texas is in shock.
The victims: At least 19 children and at least two adults were killed in the incident. A US border control officer was injured in a shooting, the Department of Homeland Security said. Many children were taken to nearby hospitals with serious injuries.
The reactions: In a first statement, Governor Greg Abbott spoke of a terrible and incomprehensible act.
A few hours after the attack, US President Joe Biden tried to put into words what many parents in Uvalde may feel: “Losing a child is like having a piece of your own soul ripped from you,” Biden said immediately after his return from a trip to Asia at the White House.
“I’m just fed up with what’s going on,” Biden said the day after the killing spree and campaigned for gun law reform in the country. Many changes could make a difference without adversely affecting the Second Amendment.
It is wrong that an 18-year-old can go into a shop to buy weapons of war. “It’s against common sense.” The US President announced that he wanted to travel to Texas with his wife Jill “in the next few days” and meet with families there.