The death toll has risen to 21 after a mass shooting Tuesday at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school, according to authorities.
The tragedy in Uvalde was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and added to a grim tally of mass shootings in the state that has been among the deadliest in the U.S. over the past five years.
Nineteen children and two adults were killed, authorities said, as the gunman went classroom to classroom firing with multiple guns.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District said the active shooter situation was reported at Robb Elementary School, which has an enrollment of just under 600 students, just before noon. They said all campuses were placed under lockdown due to the gunfire. Officials said second, third and fourth graders attend the school.
A Border Patrol agent who was nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about it.
Among those killed in the shooting was fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles. Relative Amber Ybarra, of San Antonio, remembered her as a loving mother and wife who also was “adventurous.”
Ybarra was preparing to give blood to the wounded and pondering how no one was able to spot problems in the 18-year-old shooter in time to stop him.
Family members confirmed that 10-year-old Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez was also killed in the shooting. They said she was in third grade and was in the same classroom as her cousin, who was also killed. Her cousin has not been named.
SEE ALSO: Texas Elementary School Shooter Dead After Killing 18 Students, 3 Adults And Shot His Grandmother
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University Hospital in San Antonio said it received three patients:
- A 66-year-old woman in critical condition
- A 10-year-old girl in critical condition
- A 10-year-old girl in good condition
According to Gov. Greg Abbott, the 18-year-old shooter is believed to be Salvador Ramos, who is from Uvalde.
Ramos, who was wearing body armor and had hinted on social media of an upcoming attack, crashed his car outside the school and went inside armed, Sgt. Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN.
According to reports, Ramos shot his grandmother before heading to the school with two military-style rifles he had purchased on his birthday, Gutierrez said.
“That was the first thing he did on his 18th birthday,” he said.
Authorities said they believe Ramos acted alone.
The district said that the city’s civic center was being used as a reunification center. Grief counseling will be available beginning Wednesday. District officials said the remainder of the school year is canceled and all activities have been canceled throughout the district.
Abbott released the following statement on the shooting:
“Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde. Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering. We thank the courageous first responders who worked to finally secure Robb Elementary School. I have instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to work with local law enforcement to fully investigate this crime. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is charged with providing local officials all resources necessary to respond to this tragedy as the State of Texas works to ensure the community has what it needs to heal.”
President Joe Biden addressed the mass shooting when he returned to the White House Tuesday.
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