The US is in shock after the worst school shooting in a decade. A recently 18-year-old murdered 19 elementary school children in the state of Texas. He kept shooting until he himself was shot. The 18-year-old must have fought his way to school – after seriously injuring his grandmother and driving into a ditch on his way to school. Even after more than 12 hours, some affected parents do not know what is going on with their children and had to provide DNA samples to establish their relationship with the victims.
Salvador Ramos was identified as the gunman who broke into Robb Elementary during class and caused a massacre there. Three days before the end of the school year, 19 children were shot dead by the 18-year-old who was going from class to class, according to news channels. Two adults also died, including a fourth-grade teacher.
There are several injured children, most of whom have been taken to Uvalde Memorial Hospital. Parents waited all night outside the school, hospital and community center in the city of 16,000 to hear about the fate of their children. They had to provide DNA samples to determine their relationship with victims. The identification of the dead is sometimes difficult, probably because of the serious injuries.
Victims aged eight to ten ‘shot by weapons of war’
ORF correspondent Thomas Langpaul described in the morning’s “ZiB” that there are always depressing scenes when parents find out that their child is among the dead. The wailing could be heard meters away. The young victims were between eight and ten years old and ‘shot with weapons of war. Those must be horrific injuries.”
Selfie and photo of two guns posted
A few days before the bloody murder, the 18-year-old had announced the massacre on Instagram by posting a selfie of himself and a photo of two light semi-automatic rifles. The bio on his TikTok channel, which has since been deleted, reads “Kids be bang irl” – “Kids, be fear in real life”. The profiles on social media were probably created recently. There are no saved versions of the pages yet, but several former classmates confirmed that at least the Instagram account belonged to Ramos.
“Do not worry”
Ramos may not have been interested in social media fame, but rather in spreading fear among his acquaintances. Ramos wrote to a former classmate via chat program about his legally purchased weapons and cryptically announced that something was about to happen: “I have a little secret I’d like to tell you.” To another he sent pictures of a gun and ammunition. He then asked him why he had these things, according to the classmate, “Don’t worry,” was the answer.
Bullied because of clothing and financial situation
The motive for the horrific violence has not yet been revealed. Former classmates of the 18-year-old, who attended Uvalde High School, reported that Ramos was a loner and was bullied. It was about what clothes he wore and the financial situation of his family. The 18-year-old then went to school less and less. Lately he worked in a fast food shop and lived alternately with his mother and grandmother.
Grandma shot and crashed
Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN the first insights into what happened. The 18-year-old initially shot the woman in his grandmother’s apartment. She was taken to a hospital and her condition is critical. Then he took a pick-up to school – and drove into a ditch just before his destination. The car stayed there.
Patrolman killed the gunman
Ramos, wearing a protective vest, walked to school heavily armed. Before he could enter, he was questioned by two police officers who had alerted an eyewitness to the accident. But the 18-year-old was unstoppable: He shot both police officers and managed to reach the school, where he caused the massacre. A nearby patrol officer who heard the shots rushed into the building and killed the gunman before special forces could arrive. The policeman was injured.
Biden: When the hell are we going to revolt against the gun lobby?
US President Joe Biden, who has just returned from a multi-day trip to Asia, addressed the nation. Accompanied by his wife Jill, he delivered an emotional speech at the White House shortly after landing: “As a nation, we need to ask ourselves when the hell are we going to stand up to the gun lobby.” an 18-year-old boy in a gun shop and buys two assault rifles is simply wrong.
Pope: “End the arbitrary arms trade!”
Pope Francis was also shocked by the massacre in the general audience on Wednesday: “I have a broken heart.” He prays for the victims and their relatives. “It’s time to end the arbitrary arms trade! We all need to work to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
