At least 19 students and two adults died in a shooting at a South Texas elementary school Tuesday, marking the deadliest school shooting in the state’s history.
Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department for Public Safety, said on Wednesday that all fatalities and injuries took place inside one classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The families of all the victims have been notified, he said.
More:Uvalde school shooting left 19 children, two adults dead. Read more about the identified victims
Law enforcement officers killed the shooter, who also wounded an unknown number of children. Officials have not revealed a motive for the shooting but have said the shooter was a resident of the community.
“I had hoped when I became president I would not have to do this again. Another massacre,” President Joe Biden said in remarks at the White House. “Beautiful, innocent second-, third- and fourth-graders.”
Uvalde is a city of about 16,000 people about 85 miles west of San Antonio. The shooting came four years after a gunman fatally shot 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area.
This story will be updated throughout the day Wednesday with the latest information.
Gov. Abbott: Shooter detailed plans in Facebook posts before shooting
Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the shooter posted to Facebook three times in the 30 minutes prior to entering the Robbs Elementary School, detailing his plans and posting updates about his planned attack.
Abbott said the gunman — who has been identified as Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old Uvalde resident — shared on Facebook that he planned to shoot his grandmother, and then provided a later update confirming that he had shot her.
Ramos also said on the social media app that he planned to shoot an elementary school, Abbott said.
Abbott said Wednesday that the remarks were posted publicly to Facebook, but a spokesman with the social media website’s parent company Meta disputed that characterization of the posts.
“The messages Gov. Abbott described were private one-to-one text messages that were discovered after the terrible tragedy occurred,” Meta spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement. “We are closely cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation.”
Beto O’Rourke confronts Gov. Abbott during press conference
In an extraordinary scene less than one day after a massacre, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke confronted Gov. Greg Abbott on his gun record, and then got into a heated exchange with people on the dais before law enforcement ordered O’Rourke to leave.
Abbott, who has long been condemned by the left for his gun policy record, held a press conference at Uvalde High School to address the violence that occurred on Tuesday. Other officials on stage at the press conference included Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
More:‘This is on you.’ Beto confronts Abbott, Cruz at Uvalde school shooting press conference
“This is on you. Until you choose to do something different, this will continue to happen,” O’Rourke said to Abbott. “Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed just like they were killed in Uvalde yesterday.”
More:Watch live: Gov. Greg Abbott gives update on Uvalde school shooting
Gov. Abbott attended campaign fundraiser after shooting; suspends future campaign activity
Gov. Greg Abbott attended a previously scheduled campaign fundraiser in East Texas hours after the shooting on Tuesday evening.
Abbott’s campaign has suspended all future campaign and political activity, Abbott campaign spokesperson Mark Miner said in a statement.
“After holding a briefing and press conference on the current wildfires in Taylor County, where he also provided an update (on) the situation in Uvalde, the Governor did stop by a previously scheduled event last night at a private home in Walker County,” Miner said. “All campaign and political activity, including a scheduled fundraiser for this evening, have postponed until further notice.”
University Memorial Hospital CEO gives update on treatment of victims
Tom Nordwick, president and CEO of University Memorial Hospital, said the emergency department treated 15 people, including 11 children. Four of those children were transferred to other hospitals in San Antonio and seven were discharged.
Out of the four adults who were treated, one was transferred and three were discharged. Two children — a boy and a girl — were dead on arrival, Nordwick said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Our thanks goes out to the many local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as the many first responders from Uvalde and surrounding communities who assisted our hospital security team to maintain control of the crowds and traffic at UHM,” Nordwick said.
NRA annual meeting scheduled for Houston to continue as planned
The National Rifle Association said it would be reflecting on the shooting, praying for the victims and redoubling its “commitment to making our schools secure” in a statement on Wednesday. The organization confirmed that its annual meeting is still scheduled to occur in Houston on Friday.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil crime,” the NRA wrote. “On behalf of our members, we salute the courage of school officials, first responders and others who offered their support and services.”
The meeting is will occur at the George R. Brown Convention Center from Friday to Sunday.
“The convention has been on the books for more than two years,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a City Council meeting on Wednesday, according to KHOU. “It’s a contractual arrangement. We simply cannot cancel a conference or convention because we do not agree with the subject matter.”
H-E-B donating $500,000 to victims, families affected by Uvalde shooting
H-E-B announced it is committing $500,000 to the Texans who were affected by the shooting. H-E-B, Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop and Mi Tienda customers can make donations in-store at the register for $1, $3, $5, $50, or $100 or at checkout in Curbside and Home Delivery orders or at heb.com/donate.
All of the donation funds will benefit the victims and families of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, H-E-B said in a news release.
Uvalde emergency blood drive sees overwhelming response; some turned away
So many people showed up to donate blood for the emergency blood drive in Uvalde this morning that South Texas Blood & Tissue Center staff are already turning people away from the long lines.
Some drove hours from surrounding towns when they heard about the need, American-Statesman reporter Nicole Foy reported.
Janie and Balthazar Dominguez said they left early this morning from San Antonio to come help.
“We have grandchildren,” Janie Dominguez said. “We can’t imagine.”
Mel Bernardo-Barclif, a donor recruitment specialist with the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, said slots for today’s blood drive at the Herby Ham Activity Center and another drive scheduled for Thursday at the Uvalde Walmart filled up in 10 minutes.
Sarah and Jordan Stewart, who are from nearby Pearsall, said years of playing sports against Uvalde teams, and having family who live here, meant they knew they wanted to come and help if they could.
“It is true what everyone is saying. It’s a small town. Everyone knows each other,” Sarah Stewart said.
Bexar County medical examiner brings in additional doctors, per county judge
Bexar County Chief Medical Examiner Kimberley Molina and her staff are working to bring closure to the families of the shooting victims, County Judge Nelson Wolff said in a statement Wednesday.
The medical examiner brought five additional doctors to assist with the efforts, he said.
“Commissioners Court will be providing the financial assistance for this effort and are prepared to fund any additional staff as needed,” Wolf said in the statement.
More:Editorial: Another school shooting. This time in Uvalde. How many more children must die?
Texas attorney general to set up Crime Victim Services Program location in Uvalde
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he will be visiting Uvalde on Wednesday to set up a location for the Crime Victims’ Compensation Program to help the families affected by the shooting. He will also be visiting he attorney general office staff members who were affected, according to a news release.
The CVC program helps crime victims and their immediate families with the financial costs of crime, such as counseling, medical treatment, funerals and loss of income. Victims of the shooting can contact the program at 1-800-983-9933.
San Antonio businesses offer support, donations for Uvalde
San Antonio business are rallying to supporting Uvalde by feeding the community or donating some of their daily profits to families of the victims of the school shooting, according to MySA.
The list of businesses supporting Uvalde includes El Remedio, Amaretti Coffee, Chismosa’s Cantina, and The Wicked Wich.
More:Blood drives, GoFundMe page set up for victims of Texas school shooting. How you can help.
Coalition Austin to host ’emergency community mourning’ at the Texas Capitol tonight
The Coalition Austin, a racial justice group, is hosting a vigil at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. to commemorate the victims of the shooting in Uvalde.
The event, billed as “emergency community mourning,” will be a safe space for fear, grief and anger, according to the group’s Instagram post. There will be an open mic and artists are welcome to attend. The coalition asks that those who are able bring flowers and candles to honor the dead.
People who are interested in speaking at the event are encouraged to reach out to the coalition on Instagram, @thecoalitionaustin.
Uvalde justice of the peace recounts process of identifying victims
Uvalde does not have its own medical examiner, so Uvalde Justice of the Peace Eulalio Diaz was called upon to identify the victims on Tuesday. He arrived on the scene at Robb Elementary School at 2:30 p.m.
The time of death for those victims who died at the scene was recorded as 3:10 p.m. He worked into the night identifying remains of victims, El Paso Times reporter Martha Pskowski reported.
Diaz said families waiting at the Civic Center for news of their children provided DNA swabs to authorities to aid in the identification process. He expected it will take 48 hours before the bodies are released, once autopsies are complete.
“It’s going to be tough when I have to type up 21 death certificates,” Diaz said.
“We know everybody,” he added, reflecting on how his children in eighth and 12th grades will be marked by the tragedy. “We know children who were there. As soon as we heard about the shooter, we were also fielding calls from our families.”
Names of Texas school shooting victims begin to emerge
Families and friends are mourning the loss of the 21 victims of the Uvalde school shooting. According to USA Today reporters, the list of confirmed victims currently includes:
- Eva Mireles, 44, a fourth grade teacher
- Irma Garcia, fourth grade teacher
- Uziyah Garcia, 8
- Xavier Javier Lopez, 10
- Eliahana Cruz Torres
- Jose Flores, 10
- Jailah Silguero, 10
More:‘There are no words’: Families mourn as names of Texas school shooting victims begin to emerge
Donations sought for family medical expenses, Robb School Memorial Fund
The Uvalde Police Department wrote on Facebook that the city of Uvalde is accepting donations for medical expenses for the families. People can donate by sending a check to the city of Uvalde, P.O. Box 799, Uvalde, Texas 78802.
The First State Bank of Uvalde opened an account for the families of Robb Elementary School victims, and people can donate by visiting any branch of the First State Bank.
Checks should be made payable to Robb School Memorial Fund and mailed to 200 E. Nopal St., Uvalde, Texas 78801. Zelle donations can be made to robbschoolmemorialfund@gmail.com.
DPS: All shooting deaths occurred in one classroom at elementary school
Lt. Chris Olivarez, spokesperson for the Texas Department for Public Safety, said all fatalities and injuries took place inside one classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, according to CNN.
He said law enforcement officers eventually forced entry into the classroom where the shooter had barricaded himself and killed 21 people. Multiple children were wounded, but the exact number is unknown.
“It’s a small classroom, you can have anywhere from 25 to 30 students in there, plus there were two teachers in there. … It was a classroom setting, a typical classroom setting where you have mass groups of children inside that classroom all together, with nowhere to go,” Olivarez told CNN.
Olivarez said all families were notified, and the victims were removed and identified.
More:It’s not just Uvalde, Texas — gunfire on school grounds is at historic high in the US
Law enforcement: Uvalde gunman legally purchased two AR rifles before shooting
The gunman who authorities say shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school legally purchased two AR rifles last week, according to a briefing by state and federal officials provided to Texas officials.
In the briefing provided to the American-Statesman by state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, the gunman bought the weapons May 17 and Friday from a local federal firearms licensee, American-Statesman reporter Tony Plohetski reported.
According to the briefing, one of the guns was in his car at the scene; the other was with his body inside the school, where officials have determined his grandmother worked until 2020. She also was shot and injured before authorities say the gunman went to the campus.
Officials said in the briefing that the suspect bought 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition on May 18.
Additionally, authorities believe the man might have lived with his grandmother in a home where she was shot. They said that although officials first believed that he was wearing body armor, they have since determined that he was outfitted with a “plate carrier” with no ballistic armor.
Authorities also corrected previous information about a possible pursuit between the gunman and law enforcement, adding “the first time Uvalde Police Department received any information was from a caller reporting the crash then a man with a gun exiting the vehicle.”
What you need to know Wednesday: Uvalde, Texas school shooting
Uvalde funeral homes pledge to provide free services for victims
Two funeral homes in Uvalde — Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home and Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary — have said on social media they will not be charging families of victims for funeral services.
“We have fought together as a community and we will pull together as one now in our time of need,” Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home wrote on Facebook. “Prayer for our small amazing town.”
Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary said they have supported Uvalde for more than 60 years, and their “resolve is stronger than ever.”
“We are here for the people of Uvalde and our professionals are currently at Robb Elementary assisting law enforcement,” the mortuary wrote on Facebook.
Uvalde school, city leaders call for prayers for victims, families
In a Facebook post, Uvalde Mayor Don Mclaughlin said his heart was “broken” for the families of the students and teachers who lost their lives
“My heart is broken for them all,” Mclaughlin said. “I ask everyone to lift them up in prayers for God to surround … them with his love and comfort.”
Anne Marie Espinoza, executive director of communications and marketing for Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, wrote on Facebook that counselors would be available at all campuses as well as the local civic center to provide support.
School has been canceled for the rest of the school year, as well as all extra-curricular activities on Wednesday and Thursday, she said.
“Our community has experienced a terrible tragedy,” Espinoza said on Facebook. “We must come together to console one another and respect the privacy of the families. Please keep all families in your prayers.”
Global leaders respond to shooting at Texas elementary school
Leaders from around the world responded to the shooting overnight by expressing their grief and making pleas to end the violence.
Pope Francis told a crowd in St. Peter’s Square that he was “heartbroken” by the shooting in Uvalde, according to Reuters.
“I pray for the children, for the adults killed and for their families,” the pope said. “It is time to say enough to indiscriminate arms trafficking. Let us all commit to ensuring such tragedies can no longer take place.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Twitter that he was “deeply saddened by the news of the murder of innocent children in Texas,” and the people of Ukraine shared the pain of the relatives and friends of the victims.
“19 victims were under age 10,” Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said on Twitter. “Children and teachers were murdered in a cowardly attack in their Texas school. We share the shock and grief of the American people, and the rage of those who are fighting to end the violence.”
Blood drives, GoFundMe pages: How to help victims of the school shooting
Crowdfunding website GoFundMe has set up a central donation page for family aid, and plans to update the list with more fundraisers as they are verified.
San Antonio Legal Services Association is seeking local attorneys to assist victims and families with unmet legal needs. The organization will be providing pro bono assistance to the community in the coming weeks.
South Texas Blood & Tissue and University Health, a local hospital in San Antonio, are seeking blood donations. Appointments have been booked through this week, but people can schedule a donation time for next week.
More:Blood drives, GoFundMe page set up for victims of Texas school shooting. How you can help.
Fourth-grade teacher among victims killed in Uvalde shooting
Eva Mireles, a fourth-grade teacher at Robb Elementary, was shot and killed by the gunman in the shooting, according to the Associated Press.
“She was adventurous. I would definitely say those wonderful things about her. She is definitely going to be very missed,” Amber Ybarra, her 34-year-old relative, told the AP.
More:‘Adventurous’ fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles among those killed in Texas school shooting
Mireles, who had been an educator for 17 years, was a loving mother and wife, as well as an avid hiker and runner, according to her profile on the school’s website.
Lydia Martinez Delgado, her aunt, told The New York Times that Mireles took pride in teaching mostly Latino students and was “the fun of the party.”