At least 19 children, 2 adults killed after shooter opens fire at Texas elementary school

[MenInG]

Nineteen children and two teachers have been killed after a gunman opened fire at a primary school in Texas, officials have confirmed.

The attack happened at Robb Elementary School in the city of Uvalde, around 80 miles west of San Antonio.

Texas Public Safety Department told CNN 19 students and two teachers were killed after 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school with a handgun and possibly a rifle.

The gunman is dead and is believed to have been killed by police officers.

Eva Mireles has been named as the fourth-grade teacher killed in the shooting.

She has a daughter, was married to a policeman and was an educator for 17 years, the primary school's website said.

Her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, said she was "very loved" and described her as "the fun of the party".

Biden vows to challenge the gun lobby - live updates

A girl, 10, and a woman, 66, are in critical condition while a girl aged nine is in fair condition and another girl aged 10 is in good condition, University Hospital in San Antonio said on Twitter..

Governor Greg Abbott said two police officers were hit while exchanging gunfire with the suspect and sustained "non-life-threatening injuries".

US President Joe Biden has described the shooting as "another massacre" and said it is "time to act" as he addressed the nation.

He then asked: "When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?".

Law enforcement officials are investigating whether the suspect's grandmother was shot after reports he shot her before entering the school.

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who represented the congressional district at the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, has implored his colleagues to act on gun violence after the shooting.

He said: "What are we doing? There were more mass shootings than days in the year. Our kids are living in fear".

In a statement, the President ordered US flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and other public buildings "as a mark of respect for the victims" until sunset on 28 May.

The chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, Pete Arrendondo, confirmed the suspect acted alone and that police are not looking for any other suspects.

Addressing the nation earlier on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris said "our hearts keep getting broken", adding that "enough is enough".

The school, in a mostly residential neighbourhood of modest homes, has just under 600 students aged from five to 11.

All schools in the local district were locked down earlier because of gunshots in the area, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District said.

The shooting came less than two weeks after a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 black shoppers and workers in what officials have described as a hate crime.

Robb Elementary School is the deadliest shooting at a US grade school since the shocking attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago.

Dozens of police officers were at the school on Tuesday afternoon, with officers in heavy vests diverting traffic and FBI agents coming and going from the building.

Uvalde is home to about 16,000 people.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

US is 'paralysed' by a gun lobby and it is 'long past time for action', says Barack Obama

Former US president Barack Obama has responded to the shooting at a primary school in Texas, saying it's "long past time for action".

In a statement on Twitter, he said: "Across the country, parents are putting their children to bed, reading stories, singing lullabies—and in the back of their minds, they’re worried about what might happen tomorrow after they drop their kids off at school, or take them to a grocery store or any other public space."

The attack at Robb Elementary School comes just 10 days after a mass shooting was carried out at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

"Michelle and I grieve with the families in Uvalde, who are experiencing pain no one should have to bear," Mr Obama said.

"We're also angry for them.

"Nearly ten years after Sandy Hook—and ten days after Buffalo—our country is paralysed, not by fear, but by a gun lobby and a political party that has shown no willingness to act in any way that might help prevent these tragedies.

"It's long past time for action, any kind of action," he added.

Mr Obama has criticised Congress on numerous occasions for blocking gun control legislation following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Gunman was 'engaged by law enforcement' before carrying out attack on primary school in Texas, sergeant says
A gunman who killed at least 18 children at a primary school, was "engaged by law enforcement" before launching his attack, a sergeant has told CNN.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Erick Estrada said there were two incidents involving the gunman prior to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas.

The first was the gunman shooting his grandmother, resulting in her being airlifted to a hospital, Sgt Estrada said.

The second incident was the suspect crashing a vehicle near the elementary school

"The suspect did crash near a ditch nearby the school," Sgt Estrada said.

"That's where he exited his vehicle with what I believe was a rifle and that's when he attempted to enter the school where he was engaged by law enforcement.

"Unfortunately, he was able to enter the premises, and then from there that's when he entered several classrooms and started shooting his firearm."

He went on to say the gunman was seen with a "long rifle and backpack" and was wearing body armour.

SKY

 

[Major]

Quite ironic, considering people from texas take pride in holding guns and rifles.

Whats the reason behind not banning fire arms? Is it because the congress fails to pass any bills on this? Or is it because the president doesnt care enough?

 

[IndoorCricket]

The gun lobby is too strong in US. I can only imagine the pain that the parents are going through now.

 

[Major]

Problem with schools in North America is how lax they are with anyone entering the building.

Anyone can just enter a school building walk around, go to the cafeteria and than just walk out. When i went to school there it was a big difference between pakistani school and a canadian school.

I get it, that in NA they cant really stop people from using publix property or create boundary walls as those grounds are for the public, but if you are not gonna make boundary walls atleast have security at the doors to keep a check who enters and exists the building..

 

[IndoorCricket]

Problem with schools in North America is how lax they are with anyone entering the building.

Anyone can just enter a school building walk around, go to the cafeteria and than just walk out. When i went to school there it was a big difference between pakistani school and a canadian school.

I get it, that in NA they cant really stop people from using publix property or create boundary walls as those grounds are for the public, but if you are not gonna make boundary walls atleast have security at the doors to keep a check who enters and exists the building..

People can still enter grocery stores, churches and parking lots with their guns and open shooting.

 

[Major]

People can still enter grocery stores, churches and parking lots with their guns and open shooting.

Still, you need to be able to protect the children who look for adult protection

 

[MenInG]

This is madness

We will now hear views like if the teachers had guns they could have stopped this guy

 

[MenInG]

Hours before 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire at an elementary school in Texas, shot off a text message on social media - "I'm about to".

Messaging a girl from what reports suggest was his Instagram account, Ramos also said: "'I got a lil secret I wanna tell u". He added the emoji of a smiley covering its mouth.

His last message was at around 9.16 am.

At 11.32 am, he was shooting little children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Nineteen children were among the 21 people he killed before he was shot dead.

Ramos had first messaged the girl from his reported account @salv8dor_ after tagging her in a photo of guns. He messaged her again on Tuesday morning, just before the shooting.

"I'm about to," he wrote in the message.

The girl asked - "About to what?"

He replied: "I'll tell you before 11."

Ramos, according to the police, fired at his grandmother before leaving for the school. He was a student at Uvalde High School before finding work at a Wendy's outlet.

According to reports, he had bought the guns he used in the shooting legally when he turned 18.

His social media was full of photos of guns that he bought on his 18th birthday, state senator Roland Gutierrez has been quoted as saying.

Under a new Texan law passed in September, those aged 18-21 could buy guns if they had a protective order, because they were at risk of family violence, stalking, prostitution or sex trafficking.

NDTV

 

[Firebat]

Quite ironic, considering people from texas take pride in holding guns and rifles.

Whats the reason behind not banning fire arms? Is it because the congress fails to pass any bills on this? Or is it because the president doesnt care enough?

The NRA pay the politicians enough to not care.

 

[Birdman]

We need stricter background check and close loooholes to avoid background checks. Before I got my concealed carry permit, I had to wait 2 or 3 days before I can buy a gun, now I can go to a store and walk out with a gun. People also go to gun shows and buy guns to avoid background checks.
In reality guns are not going anywhere in the US because many consider it as important as freedom of speech abs freedom of press.

 

[Birdman]

In fact this incident will increase gun and ammo sales because many will be scared that govt will impose stricter laws.

 

[Firebat]

Shot his own grandmother then murdered 19 primary school children.

You cannot be able to just buy military grade assault rifles on your 18th birthday. It's wrong on every level.

The suspected gunman bought two rifles on his 18th birthday, Gutierrez told reporters. Two assault-style rifles were reportedly purchased from a store in Uvalde County. “That was the first thing he did on his 18th birthday,” Gutierrez said, adding that the gunman had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming. “He suggested the kids should watch out,” he said.

 

[Manunited18]

The Gun law in the USA is obviously very questionable. But the perpetrators of these hideous acts are the real issue.

 

[OldWarHorse]

Tragic. That too an 18 year old shooter. Unbelievable

 

[Champ_Pal]

Too many guns in America. Combine that with all the depressed souls walking around like zombies is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Robert]

Problem with schools in North America is how lax they are with anyone entering the building.

Anyone can just enter a school building walk around, go to the cafeteria and than just walk out. When i went to school there it was a big difference between pakistani school and a canadian school.

I get it, that in NA they cant really stop people from using publix property or create boundary walls as those grounds are for the public, but if you are not gonna make boundary walls atleast have security at the doors to keep a check who enters and exists the building..

Or -

1. introduce tougher background checks before allowing people to buy guns

2. ban gun shows where private citizens sell lethal weapons for cash

3. socialise mental health care.

Until these points are made policy then the massacres will continue.

 

[Technics 1210]

Western Liberalism ladies and gentlemen.

Freedom endorsed by a nation's constitution. Guns are a constitutional right in the USA.

Guns are a right in the 'beacon of civilization' in the West. Background checks etc are in place but are of no use when the law supersedes checks through liberal rights plus checks do not determine intention of use.

It is utterly hilarious that Amreeka wants to ban abortion, but not guns. This is liberalism for you.

 

[MenInG]

As the US reels from another school shooting, more details are emerging of the horror that unfolded in Texas near the border with Mexico.

Witnesses have described traumatised children covered in blood being hugged by parents. Others had to come to terms with devastating news of the deaths of loved ones.

But Tuesday began much like any other weekday in May in Uvalde, about 80 miles (130km) west of San Antonio.

Around 08:00 local time, near the centre of the town, some 600 students aged seven to 10 were arriving at Robb Elementary School.

The summer holidays were fast approaching and many children were savouring their final days in middle school before graduation.

How the shooting began
That morning on the other side of town, Salvador Ramos fired the opening shots of one of America's deadliest mass shootings.

The 18-year-old - described as a loner, from a "fraught home life", bullied over a speech impediment - shot dead his grandmother before fleeing the scene in a battered truck carrying guns and copious ammunition.

After driving erratically across town, Ramos eventually crashed his car into a ditch near Robb Elementary School. Some bystanders approached the car to offer assistance.

"People thought that he was in trouble and so they jumped out to help him and he came out of his vehicle and started shooting at them," one person told the Spanish language network Telemundo.

A police officer who works at the school and then two officers from the Uvalde police department all fired at Ramos - but they could not stop him and instead called for back-up, Eric Estrada from the Texas department of public safety told CNN.

Ramos entered the school at 11:32 local time, where he embarked on a 45-minute rampage in which he "shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly", according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Video shared on social media showed a person clad in black jogging toward a side door of the school carrying what appeared to be a rifle.

Ramos is believed to have immediately purchased two semi-automatic rifles after turning 18 last week.

Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez told CNN that Ramos forced his way into a fourth-grade classroom, where he opened fire.

All 21 victims of the shooting were later found in the room.

Witnesses reported seeing children clambering out of nearby windows and seeking shelter at a funeral home nearby as the shooting began.

Others, led by two teachers, escaped from the building and hid behind some trees at the rear of the school.

Marcela Cabralez, a local pastor, told the Washington Post that her nine-year-old granddaughter was eating her lunch with other students when she heard noise coming from outside, including shots and breaking glass.

Teachers shepherded children behind a curtain, where they all hid, desperately trying to avoid attracting the shooter's attention. Ms Cabralez's granddaughter hid in a bathroom.

Another teacher, Eva Mireles, was shot and killed by the gunman while trying to protect her students.

Adolfo Hernandez told the New York Times that his nephew had been in a classroom near where the shooting had taken place.

"He actually witnessed his little friend get shot in the face," Mr Hernandez said. The friend, he said, "got shot in the nose and he just went down, and my nephew was devastated".

As police arrived at the scene, Ramos, who was clad in body armour, barricaded himself in the classroom and prepared for a showdown with law enforcement officials.

Travis Considine, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, told reporters that two police officers were injured after after exchange of fire with Ramos.

The massacre finally came to an end after a nearby Border patrol officer breached the classroom and shot Ramos in the head.

Seven 30-round magazines belonging to the teenager were later found at the school.

Children were rushed to a local community centre about a mile from the school and Mr Sotelo said he saw several teachers and children emerging sobbing and injured.

"We saw a little girl full of blood and the parents were screaming, it was an ugly scene," Derek Sotelo, a resident who runs a local auto-repair shop shop, told the Washington Post. "They were just little kids."

'Don't take a second for granted'
As police began investigating, a frantic scene was emerging at the school as parents arrived seeking news.

Journalists at the scene reported hearing cries and sobs as family members who gathered there received the devastating news that their children had been killed.

Angel Garza wrote on Facebook that his 10-year old daughter Amerie had been killed.

"My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don't take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them," he wrote on Facebook.

And Lisa Garter mourned the death of her 10-year-old son Xavier Javier Lopez.

"He was just a loving 10-year-old little boy, just enjoying life, not knowing that this tragedy was going to happen today," she said.

Others, left in limbo by the chaos surrounding the events, were asked to give DNA samples to help identify some of the young victims.

Jesse Rodriguez told the San Antonio Express that he was still waiting for information about his daughter after hearing she could have been taken to hospital.

"I was waiting for more info. Nobody called me back," he said. "The hospital's closing me out right now."

'Why do we keep letting this happen'
As news of the shooting filtered through to Washington, a familiar spectacle unfolded.

President Joe Biden, who stood with Barack Obama as his predecessor wept in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2016, raged against legislators' failure to take action.

"Why do we keep letting this happen?" Mr Biden asked in a speech at the White House. "Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

Accompanied by his wife, Jill, Mr Biden recalled the loss of his own son, Beau, as he empathised with the parents who he said "will never be the same".

"To lose a child, it's like having a piece of your soul ripped away," he said.

But in the Senate, some politicians remained unswayed by arguments for more gun control.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz accused Democrats and the media of "politicising" mass shootings, while others simply offered "thoughts and prayers".

Another Republican, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, urged states to arm teachers and "potentially other administrators".

'You can't comprehend evil like this'

Later, as night fell in Uvalde, police stood watch in the pouring rain outside a community centre where families had earlier gathered to seek news of their loved ones.

Just blocks away, a small vigil was taking place.

Karla Bohman's voice cracked as she told the group about a family friend whose young daughter, a student at the school, was among those still unaccounted for.

"They don't know if she's in surgery or one of the fatalities, but they know she's a victim of some sort because she's missing," Bohman cried. "I can't believe this."

Cheryl Juhasz, a lifelong resident of Uvalde, quietly wept during the prayer.

"You can't comprehend evil like this. No matter where it happens, but it's harder when it happens at home."

BBC

 

[Major]

Or -

1. introduce tougher background checks before allowing people to buy guns

2. ban gun shows where private citizens sell lethal weapons for cash

3. socialise mental health care.

Until these points are made policy then the massacres will continue.

Nope even if you ban guns this will happen.

In pakistan a person cant enter a school due to boundary walls

 

[Saj]

Yet gun laws in USA remain without change.

 

[Robert]

Nope even if you ban guns this will happen.

Doesn’t happen in Canada. They have as many guns per capita as USA.

 

[sweep_shot]

'Murica!

Another day. Another mass shooting.

 

[sweep_shot]

Doesn’t happen in Canada. They have as many guns per capita as USA.

Correct.

Canadian gun laws are very strict. Assault rifles are banned.

People can buy guns like chocolates in USA. That's the issue.

 

[MenInG]

The father of one of the victims of the Texas school massacre wanted to charge into the building because the police officers were waiting outside and weren't " doing anything like they are supposed to".

Officials have admitted that 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was in the school for up to an hour, during which time he murdered 21 people including 19 children and two teachers.

The revelation about the length of time it took to subdue Ramos came as the town of Uvalde gathered for a vigil to remember the victims of the Robb Elementary School massacre - the worst US school shooting in nearly a decade.

Seventeen people were also injured in the attack.

Javier Cazares, whose fourth grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, said he raced to the school when he heard about the shooting, arriving while police were still massed outside the building.

He said raised the idea of charging into the school with several other bystanders. "Let's just rush in because the cops aren't doing anything like they are supposed to," he said. "More could have been done."

"They were unprepared," he added.

Jackie Cazares, 10, one of the victims of the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Pic: Facebook
Juan Carranza, a witness who lives across the road from the school, said women shouted at officers to "Go in there! Go in there!" after the attack began, and said officers did not enter.

Mr Carranza had seen the gunman crash his truck in a ditch outside the school and grab a rifle.

Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven McCraw said in a news conference that the gunman was on the premises between 40 minutes and an hour before law enforcement forcibly entered and killed him.

He said: "It's going to be within, like 40 minutes or something, within an hour."

Authorities say the gunman locked the door of a classroom once inside and started shooting.

A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation has said Border Patrol agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key.

Ramos had shot his grandmother in the face before heading to Robb Elementary School. She remains in a critical condition in hospital.

As darkness fell in Uvalde on Wednesday evening families and individuals gathered to pay tribute to the victims, all of whom were in one classroom and included children under the age of 10.

Pastors led prayers as the crowd held pictures of those who died.

Families of the victims hugged each other as members of the community sang hymns.

Gunman's messages before attack revealed

Since the attack, it has emerged that Ramos sent a series of private messages to a Facebook contact where he said he would "kill" his grandmother and "shoot an elementary school".

Officials also said the gunman's grandmother was the person who alerted the police.

A series of posts appeared on Instagram and TikTok in the days leading up to the shooting including a selfie of the gunman in front of a mirror.

Instagram has confirmed it's working with law enforcement to review an account that appears to belong to the gunman.

During the mass shooting, Ramos wore an armoured vest and used a DDM4 rifle - a semi-automatic weapon modelled on the US military's M4 carbine.

It can be bought on a finance deal for less than $100 (£80) per month.

The attack has reignited fierce debates over America's gun laws and the powerful gun lobby.

US President Joe Biden asked: "When will stand up to the gun lobby?" and called for new restrictions on firearms.

In the wake of the shooting Texas Governor Greg Abbott has faced fierce criticism from rivals over his stance on guns, in a state home to some of the most relaxed firearm rules in the US.

The National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting starts on Friday in Texas's biggest city of Houston, where Republicans including Mr Abbott, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump are all scheduled to speak.

The NRA has called the shooting "the act of a lone, deranged criminal" and confirmed that it is proceeding with its event despite the massacre.

During a news conference, where Mr Abott blamed the shooting on a "mental health crisis" in the community, Democratic politician Beto O'Rourke, interrupted and shouted:

"You are doing nothing to stop this.

"This is totally predictable."

SKY

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Doesn’t happen in Canada. They have as many guns per capita as USA.

I always get the impression Canada has a very different culture to the US, not sure the comparison is giving a true reflection. Canucks seem quite easy going and liberal, seems like comparing a sleepy village to a bustling metropolis.

Maybe it's because of the laws, or maybe because the population is made up of a different type of people?

 

[sweep_shot]

I always get the impression Canada has a very different culture to the US, not sure the comparison is giving a true reflection. Canucks seem quite easy going and liberal, seems like comparing a sleepy village to a bustling metropolis.

Maybe it's because of the laws, or maybe because the population is made up of a different type of people?

Not whole of Canada is like sleeping village.

Cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are major cities. Crowded and busy.

But, Canada has one advantage that USA doesn't have and that is low population. USA's population is 10 times more than Canada's. More people means more issues.

 

[Kroll]

Too many guns in America. Combine that with all the depressed souls walking around like zombies is a disaster waiting to happen.

‘waiting to happen’ ?

 

[Technics 1210]

Liberals need to stop quoting stats and look at the facts before comparing with other countries.

Case in point, the is no Right to Bear Arms in Canada. Crucial difference because what this means is that when there is a mass shooting in Canada, the government can easily ban weapons, same happens in UK, Europe etc, such as an assault rifles. In case you have not twigged it. ARs are the prominent weapon in US mass shootings because ARs are legal.

But no, it’s Amreeka’s constitutional right to bear arms. No checks will help; a warped nation thinks they are still fighting for freedom against the RedCoats.

Let me summarise : it’s illegal for an 18 year old Amreekan to drink alcohol, but legal for the same 18 year old to own guns. This is Amreeka for you - so called land of freedom and liberalism.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Liberals need to stop quoting stats and look at the facts before comparing with other countries.

Case in point, the is no Right to Bear Arms in Canada. Crucial difference because what this means is that when there is a mass shooting in Canada, the government can easily ban weapons, same happens in UK, Europe etc, such as an assault rifles. In case you have not twigged it. ARs are the prominent weapon in US mass shootings because ARs are legal.

But no, it’s Amreeka’s constitutional right to bear arms. No checks will help; a warped nation thinks they are still fighting for freedom against the RedCoats.

Let me summarise : it’s illegal for an 18 year old Amreekan to drink alcohol, but legal for the same 18 year old to own guns. This is Amreeka for you - so called land of freedom and liberalism.

After the anti liberal messiah Trump, stops the Russia Ukraine war in 2024 with one phone call do you think he will stick it to the libs and try to ban guns?

 

[Technics 1210]

After the anti liberal messiah Trump, stops the Russia Ukraine war in 2024 with one phone call do you think he will stick it to the libs and try to ban guns?

This has nothing to do with Trump.

Let me put it another way for you liberals. It’s easier to the change the Bible than it is the US constitution.

For the record, the US President has very little power, the power sits with the House of Representatives.

 

[MenInG]

Questions are being asked about how much time elapsed before police stormed a Texas primary school classroom to end a rampage by a gunman inside.

Texas Department of Public Safety director Steve McCraw said that 40 minutes to an hour had elapsed from when Salvador Ramos first opened fire on the school security officer, to when a tactical team shot him dead.

In that time, 21 people - 19 students and two teachers - were killed.

And the community is now demanding to know the full detail about what exactly happened during that time.

Their questions come as it emerges that the husband of one of the teachers who died has also passed away - less than 48 hours after the tragedy.

Joe Garcia had been married to high school sweetheart, Irma Garcia, for 24 years before she was gunned down on Tuesday at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

"I don't even know how to feel. I don't believe it. I don't want to believe it" that Joe Garcia has passed away, Irma's nephew, John Martinez, told Sky's US partner, NBC News.

It is thought he suffered a heart attack after going to his wife's memorial to leave flowers. A relative said on a social media post that he believed Joe had "died of a broken heart" after losing "the love of his life of more than 30 years, was too much to bear".

The couple had four children.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is a supporter of gun rights, has pulled out of the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Houston, instead deciding to visit Uvalde again.

He was scheduled to speak at the NRA leadership forum on Friday but will instead deliver pre-recorded remarks virtually.

The governor will visit the town of the tragic shooting and hold a press conference.

The NRA's schedule online still lists Mr Abbott as one of the speakers, alongside Texas senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump.

One Texas law enforcement official has said the 18-year-old gunman walked in unimpeded through an apparently unlocked door.

After entering the school, Ramos barricaded himself in a classroom and began to kill.

Another official said Border Patrol agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key.

In the meantime, it has been reported, one of the victim's fathers had become so frustrated about time apparently elapsing that he threatened to "rush in".

Javier Cazares, whose daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, said he raced to the school when he heard about the shooting, arriving while police were still gathered outside.

Upset that police were not moving in, he raised the idea of charging into the school with several other bystanders.

'Police were unprepared'

"Let's just rush in because the cops aren't doing anything like they are supposed to," he said. "More could have been done."

"They were unprepared," he added.

A Texas Public Safety department spokesman said later that authorities could not give a solid estimate of how long the gunman had been in the school.

"The bottom line is law enforcement was there," Mr McCraw said. "They did engage immediately. They did contain (Ramos) in the classroom."

Uvalde Police chief Daniel Rodriguez maintained officers had responded "within minutes" and said he felt it was "important for our community to know that".

'Answers won't come fast enough'

He said there was an ongoing investigation into all aspects of the shooting being led by the Texas Rangers adding: "I understand questions are surfacing regarding the details of what occurred.

"I know answers will not come fast enough during this trying time, but rest assured that with the completion of the full investigation, I will be able to answer all the questions that we can."

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, gun safety advocates are now pushing President Joe Biden to take stronger measures to curb such violence.

On Thursday they spoke to White House representatives and urged the president to appoint a gun violence tsar.

They also called on Mr Biden to make an emergency declaration on gun violence (a situation where a government is empowered to be able to put through policies it would normally not be permitted to do), issue an executive order (a signed, written, and published directive from the president) on background checks for firearms purchases, and advocate lifting the Senate filibuster if necessary (the rule that requires at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate to pass most legislation).

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has said it will continue with its annual convention in Houston, Texas, over this upcoming holiday weekend.

It promises to showcase "over 14 acres of the latest guns and gear ".

It issued a message of condolence to the victims of Uvalde on its convention website.

It read: "Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil crime.

"On behalf of our members, we salute the courage of school officials, first responders and others who offered their support and services.

"Although an investigation is under way and facts are still emerging, we recognise this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal.

"As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognise our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

The husband of one of the teachers slain in Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has reportedly died of a heart attack.

Joe Garcia was the husband of Irma Garcia, who taught for 23 years at Robb Elementary School.

Mrs Garcia was one of two teachers killed by a teenage gunman in the shooting that left 21 people dead - including 19 children.

The couple - who were married for 24 years - are survived by four children.

By Thursday night, an online fundraiser for the Garcia family had raised nearly $1.6m (£1.3m) out of an initial modest goal of $10,000.

The GoFundMe page said it was being organised by Mrs Garcia's cousin, Debra Austin, who wrote: "I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart."

On Twitter, a nephew of Mrs Garcia, John Martinez, said that Mr Garcia had "passed away due to grief" in the wake of his wife's murder.

A local Fox affiliate has reported that Mr Garcia died of a fatal heart attack.

The Garcias leave behind four children - two boys and two girls - ranging from 12 to 23 years old.

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting in Uvalde, Mr Martinez told the New York Times that Mrs Garcia was found by officers "embracing children in her arms pretty much until her last breath".

"She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom," he wrote on a fundraising page. "She was a hero".

Mrs Garcia and the other teacher killed in the shooting, Eva Mireles, had been teaching together for five years and had more than 40 years of experience between them.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

A girl saw her teacher killed in the Texas shooting but reportedly survived by lying on one of her classmates and smearing the girl's blood on herself to "play dead".

Miah Cerrillo's family have been describing the terrifying ordeal suffered by the 11-year-old, who has been left with bullet fragments in her body and singed hair from the gunfire.

 

[Technics 1210]

227 Mass Shootings in the land of the free, the brave, the liberal, compared to rest of Western nations that amount to ZERO, this year!

Amreeka is the leader of NATO.

Perhaps taking the knee might make a difference?

 

[MenInG]

Police in Texas have revised key details about Tuesday's deadly school shooting as criticism mounts from parents over the initial response.

The gunman roamed outside the Uvalde school for 12 minutes before entering unchallenged, police said on Thursday.

That contradicted earlier statements which said the attacker had been confronted and shot at by an officer.

He killed 19 children and two teachers before he was shot dead 90 minutes after he arrived, police said.

That delay, combined with video footage showing frustrated parents being tackled and handcuffed by police while the gunman was still inside the school, has led to growing public anger and scrutiny of the early response.

It has also called into question claims by state Governor Greg Abbott, who earlier this week hailed the "quick response" of "valiant local officials" who he said had engaged the gunman before he entered the school. "They showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire," he said.

The latest timeline was given at a news conference by Texas Ranger Victor Escalon, who said several times that he wanted to "clear up" previous statements. He defended the police response and spoke of the emotional toll the shooting had taken on officers. "We're all hurting inside," he said.

But the timeline of events was still unclear after Thursday's briefing, and questions remain about how long it took officers to arrive and why the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was inside the school for more than an hour before he was killed - not by local officers - but by a tactical unit led by US border agents.

Mr Escalon said Ramos crashed his vehicle nearby at 11:28, with the first emergency call coming two minutes later as witnesses reported a man carrying a gun. Ramos then shot at members of the public, roamed the school premises, and entered freely through an unlocked door at 11:40.

Police arrived on site four minutes later, Mr Escalon said. But it is unclear how close they got to the gunman or whether they attempted to enter the classroom where the shooting took place.

Police initially said the officers were "inside making entry" and took cover after coming under heavy fire. This was revised on Thursday by Mr Escalon. "They [didn't] make entry immediately because of the gunfire they were receiving," he said.

At 12:45, the gunman was shot dead by a team led by an elite Border Patrol tactical unit. Mr Escalon played down previous statements by police that there had been ongoing exchanges of gunfire during the previous hour. "The majority of the gunfire was in the beginning," he told reporters.

Witnesses have said police were hesitant to confront the killer, and videos from the scene show officers gathered outside while being urged by desperate family members to storm the building immediately.

One mother told the Wall Street Journal that she was briefly handcuffed and accused of impeding a police investigation, after demanding - along with other parents - that officers enter the school. Angeli Rose Gomez said she saw one father thrown to the ground by an officer, another pepper-sprayed and a third who was tasered.

"The police were doing nothing," said Ms Gomez, who was eventually released. She said she jumped over the school fence and ran inside to rescue her two children. "They [the police] were just standing outside the fence. They weren't going in there or running anywhere."

"They say they rushed in," Javier Cazares, whose daughter Jacklyn was killed in the attack, told the Associated Press. "We didn't see that."

"A lot of us were arguing with the police, 'You all need to go in there. You all need to do your jobs'. Their response was, 'We can't do our jobs because you guys are interfering.'"

The apparent delay in entering the building deviates from guidance that became standard police practice after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which states that the first officers on the scene should do whatever they can to stop an attack without waiting for backup.

Mr Escalon refused to answer several questions about why the gunman had not been killed sooner. He said he had "taken all those questions into consideration" and would give an update later.

Investigators have found no indication the gunman had a history of mental illness or a criminal record. He legally purchased two AR-style rifles in the week before the attack, shortly after his 18th birthday.

BBC

 

[sweep_shot]

Police in Texas have revised key details about Tuesday's deadly school shooting as criticism mounts from parents over the initial response.

The gunman roamed outside the Uvalde school for 12 minutes before entering unchallenged, police said on Thursday.

That contradicted earlier statements which said the attacker had been confronted and shot at by an officer.

He killed 19 children and two teachers before he was shot dead 90 minutes after he arrived, police said.

That delay, combined with video footage showing frustrated parents being tackled and handcuffed by police while the gunman was still inside the school, has led to growing public anger and scrutiny of the early response.

It has also called into question claims by state Governor Greg Abbott, who earlier this week hailed the "quick response" of "valiant local officials" who he said had engaged the gunman before he entered the school. "They showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire," he said.

The latest timeline was given at a news conference by Texas Ranger Victor Escalon, who said several times that he wanted to "clear up" previous statements. He defended the police response and spoke of the emotional toll the shooting had taken on officers. "We're all hurting inside," he said.

But the timeline of events was still unclear after Thursday's briefing, and questions remain about how long it took officers to arrive and why the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was inside the school for more than an hour before he was killed - not by local officers - but by a tactical unit led by US border agents.

Mr Escalon said Ramos crashed his vehicle nearby at 11:28, with the first emergency call coming two minutes later as witnesses reported a man carrying a gun. Ramos then shot at members of the public, roamed the school premises, and entered freely through an unlocked door at 11:40.

Police arrived on site four minutes later, Mr Escalon said. But it is unclear how close they got to the gunman or whether they attempted to enter the classroom where the shooting took place.

Police initially said the officers were "inside making entry" and took cover after coming under heavy fire. This was revised on Thursday by Mr Escalon. "They [didn't] make entry immediately because of the gunfire they were receiving," he said.

At 12:45, the gunman was shot dead by a team led by an elite Border Patrol tactical unit. Mr Escalon played down previous statements by police that there had been ongoing exchanges of gunfire during the previous hour. "The majority of the gunfire was in the beginning," he told reporters.

Witnesses have said police were hesitant to confront the killer, and videos from the scene show officers gathered outside while being urged by desperate family members to storm the building immediately.

One mother told the Wall Street Journal that she was briefly handcuffed and accused of impeding a police investigation, after demanding - along with other parents - that officers enter the school. Angeli Rose Gomez said she saw one father thrown to the ground by an officer, another pepper-sprayed and a third who was tasered.

"The police were doing nothing," said Ms Gomez, who was eventually released. She said she jumped over the school fence and ran inside to rescue her two children. "They [the police] were just standing outside the fence. They weren't going in there or running anywhere."

"They say they rushed in," Javier Cazares, whose daughter Jacklyn was killed in the attack, told the Associated Press. "We didn't see that."

"A lot of us were arguing with the police, 'You all need to go in there. You all need to do your jobs'. Their response was, 'We can't do our jobs because you guys are interfering.'"

The apparent delay in entering the building deviates from guidance that became standard police practice after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which states that the first officers on the scene should do whatever they can to stop an attack without waiting for backup.

Mr Escalon refused to answer several questions about why the gunman had not been killed sooner. He said he had "taken all those questions into consideration" and would give an update later.

Investigators have found no indication the gunman had a history of mental illness or a criminal record. He legally purchased two AR-style rifles in the week before the attack, shortly after his 18th birthday.

BBC

Cops in USA make me laugh.

A lot of them seem like incompetent fatties who can only harass innocent people.

 

[Markhor]

Quite ironic, considering people from texas take pride in holding guns and rifles.

Whats the reason behind not banning fire arms? Is it because the congress fails to pass any bills on this? Or is it because the president doesnt care enough?

The Senate filibuster.

60/100 votes are required to enact legislation (except for budgetary bills which can be passed under certain criteria via simple majority vote AKA reconciliation).

Currently the Democrats have 50 Senators, but the chances of 10 Republican Senators agreeing to any common sense gun safety legislation are remote as their voters hold gun rights almost like a religion.

 

[MenInG]

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler says he will not come out for the national anthem before games "until I feel better about the direction of our country".

Kapler, 46, says he is acting after the Robb Elementary School shooting.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.

Ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick famously took a knee during the national anthem before San Francisco 49ers' games in 2016 for a racial justice protest.

Kapler told reporters in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday: "I don't expect it to move the needle necessarily, but it's something I feel strongly enough about to take that step."

He had earlier penned an essay on his website explaining his unhappiness at standing for the national anthem following a minute's silence for the victims before a game on Tuesday.

The 2021 National League Manager of the Year said: "We didn't stop to reflect on whether we are actually free and brave after this horrific event, we just stood at attention.

"My father taught me to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn't. I don't believe it is representing us well right now."

He went on to criticise the gun industry, lobbyists and politicians and said he had wanted to drop to his knee.

"I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn't understand the gesture and would take it as an offence to the military, to veterans, to themselves."

"I am not OK with the state of this country," Kapler added.

"I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you're dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this."

Earlier this week Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr refused to talk about basketball during a news conference and instead delivered an emotional speech condemning gun violence in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/baseball/61612283

 

[James]

Donald Trump has described the most recent US school shooting as a "savage and barbaric atrocity" but has criticised those who have called for stricter gun laws.

The former US president was a guest speaker at the convention in Houston of the National Rifle Association, a gun rights group.

The convention was taking place just a few days after 19 children and two teachers were shot dead at a primary school in the city of Uvalde, Texas.

The school attack came 10 days after a shooting in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead - the two tragedies being the latest in a long line of mass killings to intensify debate over gun laws.

Mr Trump said: "The terrible murder of 19 innocent children and two adult teachers, with many badly injured, was a savage and barbaric atrocity that shocks the conscience of every American, so horrible."

He then called for a "brief moment of silence as I read the names of these beautiful people", before he recited a list of the victims from Uvalde, each name followed by the chime of a bell.

But, like many of the convention's other speakers, Mr Trump refused to see any connection between their deaths and the ease with which 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was able to access the AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle that killed them.

He criticised the "now familiar parade of cynical politicians seeking to exploit the tears of sobbing families to increase their own power and take away our constitutional rights" and the "grotesque effort by some in our society to use the suffering of others to advance their own extreme political agenda".

He described their "rush to shift blame away from the villains who commit acts of mass violence" and "to place that blame onto the shoulders of millions of peaceful law-abiding citizens who belong to organisations such as our wonderful NRA".

He added: "When (US president) Joe Biden blamed the gun lobby, he was talking about Americans like you. This rhetoric is highly divisive and dangerous and, most importantly, it's wrong and has no place in our politics."

Mr Trump also said it should be easier to confine "violent and mentally deranged" people in institutions, although Ramos had no criminal record or history of mental illness.

State hosts weapons convention promising '14 acres of guns' just days after massacre

He also pushed for the elimination of school gun-free zones, saying that these left victims with no way to defend themselves.

He said: "As the age-old saying goes, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

"The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens."

As he spoke, about 500 protesters stood outside the hall, some holding placards and shouting: "NRA go away" and "shame, it could be your kids today".

SKY

 

[MenInG]

US President Joe Biden is visiting the scene of country's largest school shooting in a decade to meet and comfort victims' families.

The president and First Lady Jill Biden will visit a memorial at the school in Uvalde, Texas, attend a church service and also meet with survivors and first responders.

 

[MenInG]

Gets more sickening this.

==

A 10-year-old has been charged in Florida after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting, US police said.

In a statement, Lee County Sheriff's Office, in Fort Myers, said it had learned on Saturday that a "threatening text message" had been sent by a student at a primary school.

The local threat enforcement team was notified and started investigating.

The sheriff's office added: "Due to the nature of the incident, the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division assumed the case."

A fifth-grade pupil was questioned by officers, arrested and later charged with "making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting", according to police.

Footage has been released of the boy being led into the back of a car by an officer.

"This student's behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement.

"Making sure our children are safe is paramount. We will have law and order in our schools! My team didn't hesitate one second… not one second, to investigate this threat."

He added: "Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It's not funny.

"This child made a fake threat, and now he's experiencing real consequences."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

British tennis player Andy Murray said the deaths of 19 children and two teachers in a shooting at a school in Texas last week made him "angry" and "incredibly upset".

Murray was a pupil at Dunblane Primary School in Scotland in March 1996, when 16 children and a teacher were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton.

"I think there's been over 200 mass shootings in America this year and nothing changes," he told BBC Sport.

"I can't understand that."

The shooting in Uvalde on 24 May has provoked new calls for gun control measures in the United States, although several senior Republicans have already expressed their opposition to tighter rules on gun ownership, such as background checks.

On Friday, former US president Donald Trump told the National Rifle Association's annual conference that decent Americans should be allowed firearms to defend themselves against "evil".

And Texas senator Ted Cruz has accused Democrats and the media of seeking to "politicise" the shooting to "restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens".

The US Department of Justice says it will investigate the police response to the mass shooting.

But Murray believes that changes need to happen.

"My feeling is that surely at some stage you do something different," he added.

"You can't keep approaching the problem by buying more guns and having more guns in the country. I don't see how that that that solves it.

"But I could be wrong. Let's maybe try something different and see if you get a different outcome.

"I heard something on the radio the other day and it was a child from that school, you know, and I experienced a similar thing when I was at Dunblane and a teacher like, coming out and waving all of the children, like under tables and telling them to go and hide.

"And it was a kid telling exactly the same story about how she survived it.

"They were saying that they go through these drills, as young children, as seven-, eight-year-old children. How? How is that normal that children should be having to go through drills, like in case someone comes into a school with a gun?

"I don't get it - just, yeah, it's really, really upsetting and I hope they make some changes."

BBC

 

[MenInG]

A fourth-grade survivor of last month's Uvalde school shooting has told a hearing how she dabbed blood on herself and pretended to be dead after the gunman murdered her teacher and friends.

Miah Cerrillo and the parents of multiple young Americans killed and wounded in recent mass shootings have testified at the US House Oversight Committee hearing as lawmakers work to find a compromise gun safety bill.

"He told my teacher 'goodnight' and shot her in the head," the 11-year-old Robb Elementary school student said in a pre-taped interview played for the committee.

"And then he shot some of my classmates and the whiteboard," she said, adding: "He shot my friend that was next to me... and I thought he was going to come back to the room. I got the blood and put it all on me."

Milah told how she covered herself in blood and pretended to be dead in order to survive the attack by high school dropout Salvador Ramos.

The hearing also included testimony from the parents of one of the young victims killed in the shooting on 24 May.

A total of 19 children were killed by the 18-year-old gunman, who crashed a vehicle before making his way into school and opening fire in one of America's worst school shootings.

The young student said she fears such violence could happen again at school.

The massacre in Uvalde was one of a spate of mass shootings across the US in recent weeks that has left dozens dead and fuelled a new round of bipartisan talks in the US Senate.

Since Democrats and Republicans are deeply divided on guns, the talks have focused on modest goals such as encouraging states to pass "red flag" laws to deny firearms to people judged a risk to themselves or the public.

Texas school shooting as it happened

Constitution, and have objected to proposals such as limited sales of the assault-style rifles used in the Uvalde massacre and another mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store.

Today's hearing also includes testimony from the mother of a Buffalo Tops shooting victim.

Police said the suspected gunman Payton Gendron was taken into custody after the attack - which is being investigated as "a racially-motivated hate crime".

The hearing comes after Uvalde-born Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey delivered a moving and powerful address at the White House on the need for "responsible" gun legislation.

Later, the full House is set to debate a bill that would raise the minimum age to 21 from 18 on purchases of
certain firearms and toughen prohibitions on untraceable guns.

As it would require the votes of 10 Republicans, the bill is highly unlikely to pass the Senate.

In the past, Democrats have attempted to pass wide-ranging gun control legislation to stem the tide of mass murders, which already have topped 200 this year alone in the US, and other gun-related violence.

But this time, Democrats have suggested a willingness to accept a much narrower first step with legislation to Republicans, even as President Joe Biden calls for tougher action, such as banning assault weapons.

SKY

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Connect these two dots and see how bad it is, how worse it's gonna get.

[video]https://streamable.com/07lkrk[/video]





<div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;pad ding-bottom:178.218%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/07lkrk" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;height:100%;positionsolute;le ft:0px;top:0px;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>


[video]https://streamable.com/00h445[/video]



<div style="width:100%;height:0px;position:relative;pad ding-bottom:56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/00h445" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;height:100%;positionsolute;le ft:0px;top:0px;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

 

[MenInG]

A damning new report into the Uvalde massacre has condemned the "chaos" and "systemic failures" in the response of both law enforcement and the school.

High school dropout Salvador Ramos killed 21 people, including 19 children, at Robb Elementary School in Texas on 24 May.

Police officers have already been roundly criticised for their response, after it was revealed it had taken more than an hour for them to bring down 18-year-old Ramos.

But on Sunday, a 77-page report showed there had been errors on multiple sides.

It is the first to criticise both state and federal law enforcement, and not just local authorities in Uvalde for the inaction at the school.

According to CNN, which saw a copy of the report before its planned publication time, blame rested on almost every agency who attended.

The media outlet said the report highlighted "systemic failures" and "ultimately poor decision-making" from officers both inside and outside the school.

And it also singled out the school for errors - it said security doors weren't properly locked and some "active shooter" protocols weren't followed.

There was a general "lackadaisical approach", it said.

A Texas House investigative committee had been asked to look into the incident.

Around 40 people testified behind closed doors, including members of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police chief and officers, the district superintendent, the school's principal, a teacher and custodial staff.

Almost 400 law enforcement officials had been on site by the end of the shooting, including 149 border patrol agents, 91 state troopers, 25 Uvalde police offices, US Marshals and Drug Enforcement Agency staff.

A teacher who survived the school shooting has said he will never forgive the police for taking over an hour to enter his classroom after the gunman first opened fire.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

A police chief accused of botching the response to the fatal shooting in May of 19 school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, has been sacked.

The local school board voted unanimously to fire Pete Arredondo, who had been on leave since June.

His lawyers said in a written statement that he had been unaware anyone was inside the classrooms with the shooter.

The firing came three months to the day since the attack and two weeks before the new school term begins.

Mr Arredondo has taken the brunt of criticism for officers' 77-minute delay in confronting the teenage gunman - and is the first officer to be dismissed.

Cheering was heard in the auditorium as Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District's board of trustees filed the motion to remove him from his post immediately.

As Wednesday evening's meeting began, some in the audience shouted: "Coward!"

Lawyers for Mr Arredondo called him "a courageous officer" and his firing "an unconstitutional public lynching".

They said their client, who had led the small police force since 2020, did not think he was the official in charge at the time of the attack.

In a 17-page statement reported by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, the attorneys maintained: "Chief Arredondo did the right thing.

"Any allegation of lack of leadership is wholly misplaced."

The statement also said Uvalde school officials had put Mr Arredondo's safety at risk by refusing to allow him to carry a weapon to the school board meeting if he were to have attended.

It continued: "The complaint that an officer should have rushed the door, believed to be locked, to open it up without a shield capable of stopping an AR-15 bullet, without breaching tools… is tantamount to suicide."

But an inquiry heard in June that the classroom door was not locked and there was no evidence officers tried to open it.

Texas public safety chief Steven McCraw testified to a state Senate hearing that there were enough police on the scene to have stopped the gunman three minutes after he entered the building.

Labelling the response an "abject failure", Mr McCraw also said Mr Arredondo had "decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children".

Mr McCraw's department is also under scrutiny - it had more than 90 state troopers at the scene of the massacre.

Among the parents at Wednesday's meeting was Ruben Torres, father of Chloe Torres, who survived the shooting.

"Right now, being young, she is having a hard time handling this horrific event," said Mr Torres, a former US Marine.

School officials have said that students will not be sent back to Robb Elementary School when term begins on 6 September and will instead be provided with temporary classrooms elsewhere in Uvalde or virtual schooling.

Mr Arredondo stepped down in July from a city council seat he won shortly before the school shooting, amid angry calls for him to lose that post, too.

BBC

 

[daytrader]

Uvalde survivors file class action lawsuit seeking $27 billion from law enforcement entities, school district and others

urvivors of the fatal mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit against multiple law enforcement agencies in Texas, according to court documents.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Austin, names the city, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, the school district’s police department, the Uvalde Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and a number of persons who are members or former members of the agencies listed as defendants.

The plaintiffs include parents and teachers and school staff members who were at the school May 24 when 19 students and two teachers were gunned down in adjoining classrooms just a few days before school was to let out for the summer. At least 17 others were wounded.

A total of 376 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the massacre, the second deadliest shooting on a K-12 school in the United States.

Officers waited 77 minutes after the shooter entered two adjoining classrooms before storming in and killing the gunman, an 18-year-old Uvalde resident.

The lawsuit alleges the victims and survivors “sustained emotional and psychological damages as a result of Defendants’ conduct and omissions” as a result of the shooting.

According to the lawsuit, despite active shooter training, law enforcement “fundamentally strayed from conducting themselves in conformity with what they knew to be the well-established protocols and standards for responding to an active shooter.”

The lawsuit went on to reference the dysfunction and extended time period law enforcement took to respond to the shooting.

“Instead of swiftly implementing an organized and concerted response to an active school shooter who had breached the otherwise ‘secured’ school buildings at Robb Elementary school, the conduct of the three hundred and seventy-six (376) law enforcement officials who were on hand for the exhaustively torturous seventy-seven minutes of law enforcement indecision, dysfunction, and harm, fell exceedingly short of their duty bound standards,” the suit claims.

“There are no words to adequately express our deepest condolences to all the families who lost a loved one on May 24,” Anne Marie Espinoza, a spokesperson for the school district, said in a statement to CNN. “Uvalde CISD cannot comment on or provide information about pending litigation. As a district, we focus on supporting our students and their families as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times.”

CNN has reached out to the city of Uvalde and the state public safety department for comment.

The civil complaint is one of several around the massacre that seeks damages from a number of parties. One federal lawsuit filed earlier this week alleges nearly two dozen people and entities, including the gun manufacturer and store that provided the rifle used in the attack, were negligent and failed to protect a student who was killed. Other families filed a similar lawsuit in September.

Separately, on Tuesday, survivors and families of the victims filed another lawsuit seeking $6 billion in damages from firearm manufacturer Daniel Defense and Uvalde gun store Oasis Outback, alleging the shooter “turned to” the manufacturer, “who, due to a concerted and intentional marketing campaign specifically aimed at the demographic of young, isolated, troubled, and violent young men, successfully won over and wooed (him).”

The lawsuit also alleges that “despite all the indicia that reasonably raised doubts as to (the gunman’s) fitness to purchase,” Oasis Outback, the Uvalde gun store that sold him guns and ammunition, allowed the purchase to happen, “effectively providing him with an inordinate amount of guns, accessories, and ammunition that should have foreseeably raised significant flags of concern.”

CNN has reached out to Daniel Defense and Oasis Outback for comment.

Apart from the $6 billion in damages, the lawsuit seeks to stop Daniel Defense from “perpetuating its marketing campaign directed at young, underage youth wherein it irresponsibly dismisses and makes light of the dangerousness of their firearms.”

CNN