Report by Paula Antolini, May 25, 2022, 7:19PM EDT
NATIONAL NEWS
Connecticut residents are certainly reflecting on the Newtown, CT, Sandy Hook school shooting today, that took place on December 14, 2012, as another deadly school shooting occurred yesterday at the Robb Elementary School, 715 Old Carrizo Road in Uvalde, Texas. The death toll in Texas is 19 children and 2 teachers, including second, third and fourth grade students, among the victims.
This tragedy is the deadliest school shooting at a U S. elementary school since the Sandy Hook massacre, according to USA today, and the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.
The gunman was an 18-year-old high school student who appeared to have acted alone, Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo said at a news conference, according to USA Today. He is suspected of shooting his grandmother before the rampage, who is now in critical condition. A tactical team eventually killed the shooter.
“Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the shooter, whom he named as Salvador Ramos, abandoned a vehicle before entering the school to ‘horrifically, incomprehensibly’ open fire”, according to the BBC, “Several of the children who died have been identified. Family members confirmed the deaths of 10-year-olds Xavier Lopez and Amerie Jo Garza in statements on Tuesday night,” the BBC indicated.
The shooter had a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines, investigators say.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene, including the Uvalde Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Officials have not revealed a motive for the shooting. An investigation is ongoing.
*The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and six were adult staff members.
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