A small city in Texas has been stricken with shock and grief following a shooting attack at an elementary school which has left 21 people - including 19 children - dead. The incident unfolded at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which has a population of around 16,000 and is 54 miles from the US-Mexico border yesterday (May 24).
Investigators say an 18-year-old man identified locally as Salvador Ramos carrying a handgun and an semi-automatic rifle opened fire at the school which teaches children aged between seven and 10. Travis Considine, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, confirmed that the current death toll is two adults including a teacher and 19 children.
Officials in Texas have said that Ramos, who is suspected to have killed his grandma before heading to the school, has been shot dead by law enforcement. The attack in Uvalde is the worst of its kind in the US since 26 people - six adults and 20 children - were killed during a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December 2012.
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It is expected that the death toll in Uvalde may rise still. Tributes have flooded in from around the country as people process the news.
Hal Harrell, the school district superintendent, said all school activities have been cancelled until further notice, adding: "My heart is broken today. We’re a small community and we’re going to need your prayers to get through this."
US President Joe Biden has also addressed the incident after receiving the news on board Air Force One as he returned to the White House after a five-day trip to Asia. Speaking to reporters, Mr Biden said: "When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?
"I am sick and tired. We have to act."
The president also tweeted about the incident, saying: "These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen elsewhere in the world. Why are we willing to live with this carnage?
"Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God’s name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with it? It’s time to turn this pain into action."
Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety told media in the US that the gunman was wearing body armour and had hinted at a possible attack on social media, although a motive is not yet clear. It is believed Ramos had purchased the guns on his 18th birthday.
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