An 18-year-old gunman, identified as Salvador Ramos, was behind the deadliest school shooting in the United States in nearly a decade, killing at least 19 children. The gruesome killing took place at a Texas elementary school in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde. Law enforcement officials said that the culprit was a resident of the community about 135 kilometres west of San Antonio, reported news agencies. The incident triggered an outpouring of grief and anger, reigniting the debate over gun laws in the country. Law enforcement officials said he acted alone.
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Here’s how the deadly attack unfolded:
- State senator Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police, suggested that the gunman had hinted on social media about the attack by suggesting “the kids should watch out”.
- Before heading to the school, Gutierrez said, Ramos shot his grandmother using the two military-style rifles he had purchased on his birthday. His grandmother was later airlifted to a medical facility.
- The assailant crashed his car outside the school at about 11.30 am (local time) and ran into the building, according to the spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- Two local police officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter after a resident called 911, Associated Press reported. The officers were shot during the encounter, though it was not immediately clear where on the campus that confrontation occurred.
- Teams of Border Patrol agents rushed to the school, however, one agent working nearby entered the school without waiting for backup and shot and killed the gunman, reported AP citing a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The report suggests that the agent was wounded in the encounter but able to walk out of the school.
(With inputs from AP, AFP, Reuters)
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