A teenage gunman murdered 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school before he was killed by police.
Shots were heard at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde at roughly 11.45am on Tuesday, with pupils and teachers put into lockdown.
It is believed the gunman shot at border patrol agents before barricading himself inside the school, which is believed to cater for children aged seven to 10, and opening fire.
Authorities later confirmed that 19 children and two adults had died in the massacre, the Mirror reports.
The shooter has been named by local news as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who is believed to have killed his grandmother before carrying out the school attack.
Governor Greg Abbott said: "It's believed that he abandoned his vehicle and entered into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and he may have also had a rifle, but that is not yet confirmed according to my most recent report.
"He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher."
That teacher has since been identified as Eva Mireles, a special education teacher who was reportedly shot while trying to protect her young students from the gunfire.
Annabelle Rodriquez, 10, is believed to be another victim after she was reported missing following the shooting.
Uvalde Police Department confirmed on Facebook that the attacker was in police custody shortly after 1pm.
Later it was confirmed he had been shot and killed by officers.
It comes after the school reported that there was an "active shooter" in the area.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital confirmed that two children were brought in dead on arrival and several more were being treated.
Students and a man in his 40s were treated by emergency crews at local hospitals either from gunshot wounds or “something related to the incident”.
A 66-year-old woman was also left in critical condition.
A spokesperson for the FBI said the agency was on the scene.
“At this time, it's too soon to determine the extent of our involvement; however, rest assured the FBI is on-scene,” Special Agent Carmen Portillo said.
A police bus used for “mass casualty” events was seen arriving at the Uvalde Memorial Hospital where two children were confirmed dead and several others, including at least one adult, were being treated for injuries.
Robb Elementary School, which has 600 students aged from second to fourth grades enrolled, is located around 60 miles east of the Mexico border and around 80 miles west of San Antonio.
The area has an overwhelmingly Hispanic population leading to speculation the school was targeted due to race.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another teenage gunman opened fire on a New York supermarket killing ten while targeting African Americans.
Tuesday's attack is the deadliest school shooting since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in February 2018.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District confirmed that a shooter was at Robb Elementary School and asked people to avoid the area.
"There is an active shooter at Robb Elementary," a spokesperson said on Twitter.
"Law enforcement is on site. Your cooperation is needed at this time by not visiting the campus. As soon as more information is gathered it will be shared."
A representative at the school earlier clarified that the shooting took place off campus, according to local reports.
Despite dozens of children being murdered, US politicians have shamefully refused to act.
Active shooter lockdown drills are now a common part of the school curriculum, from primary to high school.
The 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut shocked Americans.
Twenty of the 26 victims in that attack, which was carried out by a 20-year-old, were between the ages of five and six.
A 2020 report from the US Government Accountability Office found that about two-thirds of all school shootings happen at the high school level, and that shootings in elementary schools are most commonly accidental.
As politicians began to offer their customary “thoughts and prayers,” Americans began to voice their disgust at another school massacre once again.
They were joined by Governor of California Gavin Newsom. The Democrat, who has repeatedly called for more stringent laws on gun safety, criticised Republicans.
“Another shooting,” he tweeted. “And the G.O.P. [Grand Old Party] won’t do a damn thing about it. Who the hell are we if we cannot keep our kids safe.”
The National Rifle Association’s annual meeting is set to be held just 270 miles away from the school on Friday.
Gun nuts are to attend the event in Houston.
Former President Donald Trump, Governor Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz are among those scheduled to address the gathering.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting as he flew back from Japan.
White House spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, said: “His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House.”
The attack came just two days before the school due to break up for a holiday.
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