A spokesperson for a Texas hospital has confirmed that 14 students and a teacher are dead following reports of an active shooter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas which is west of San Antonio, reports USA Today.
According to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the suspected gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, has also been pronounced dead.
“It is believed that he abandoned his vehicle, then entered into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun, and he may have also had a rifle,” said Abbott in a news briefing. “He shot and killed, horrifically and incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher.”
Previously, all schools in the district were locked down after reports of gunshots within the area. The incident, which was reported shortly after 11:30 a.m. has been confirmed as a mass casualty incident by authorities. They have also informed the public that the scene is no longer active.
“The investigation is leading to tell us the suspect did act alone during this heinous crime,” said Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District during the news conference.
Robb Elementary School is home to grades 2nd through 4th and is located in Uvalde, Texas which is approximately 70 miles east of Del Rio. State data reports that the school was home to 535 students in the 2020-21 school year. Thursday (May 26) was set to be the last day of school for its students and staff.
The news comes just weeks after Payton Gendron entered a Tops Supermarket located in Buffalo, New York and opened fire killing 10 people and wounding several others.
At this time the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have partnered with area police to lead the investigation.
Two officers were struck after reports that they exchanged gunfire with the shooter. According to Abbott, they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.