SAN ANTONIO — This blog is no longer being updated. Please see the latest KENS 5 News reports at KENS5.com/uvalde.
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At least 21 people, including 19 children, were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, according to law enforcement officials. Several others, both students and adults, are being treated for injuries.
- Uvalde officials said the shooting started at 11:32 a.m. Tuesday at a building at Robb Elementary that houses students in grades two through four. All campuses were placed under lockdown due to the gunfire.
- Department of Public Safety officials told KENS 5 in addition to the 19 children killed, there were also two adult fatalities in the tragedy: AP has confirmed they are both teachers at the school.
- The alleged shooter was also killed by a tactical agent responding to the scene after he exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, local police confirmed. It is believed that shooter acted alone; he has been identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.
Families have begun identifying the victims. You can find an updated list here.
Texas DPS News Conference:
Texas DPS gave more details of the timeline of the shooting at a news conference. Here are some new details about the Tuesday events just released:
Sequence of events Tuesday, May 24, 2022:
- 11:27 a.m.: Exterior door at school propped open by teacher
- 11:28 a.m.: Suspect vehicle crashes into ditch by school. Teacher runs to room to retrieve phone. Door remains propped open. Two people from nearby funeral home come to help but see a man with a gun and backpack. The two people run back to funeral home as the gunman shoots at them. They were not hit.
- 11:31 a.m. A Uvalde CISD school resource officer was off campus nearby when he heard gunshots outside the school. He drove over to the school and actually drove past the shooter as the shooter was going into the school.
- 11:33 a.m. The shooter enters the classroom while shooting.
- 11:51 a.m. Initially, three Uvalde Police Department officers gathered outside the classroom, which was locked at that point.
- 12:03 p.m. As many as 19 officers, including UPD, Zavala County deputies and others, were gathered outside the classroom. Texas DPS said the officers believed the situation at that point had transitioned from an active shooter to a barricaded subject. The incident commander on scene determined they needed more equipment to breach the barricade, so they waited.
- 12:15 p.m. Border Patrol Tactical Units and shields arrived.
- 12:50 p.m. Border Patrol team breached the doorway with a key from the janitor and shot and killed the suspect.
At the news conference, DPS also gave details of the 911 calls that were made from inside the classroom. The timeline given of those is below:
- 12:10 p.m. Teacher calls 911 to report that multiple children were killed.
- 12:18 p.m. Teacher reports nine students were still alive.
- 12:21 p.m. Three shots heard in 911 call.
- 12:36 p.m. A student called 911 and was told to stay on the line and stay quiet. A fellow student is heard on the call telling the caller to hang up.
- 12:43 p.m. A student said to please send police now.
In an emotional moment, DPS Director Steven McCraw was asked by a reporter how he felt about the events.
“Forget how I am doing…what about the parents of those children?” McCraw said as he choked up. “We are officers and we take an oath to protect the people. Ideally, we would have been able to identify this guy as a suspect and prevent him from attacking on the 24th."
See here for more on what officials have said about the timeline of events over the last three days.
Below are the latest real-time updates from Friday, May 27:
9:30 a.m. Families of the victims in the Robb Elementary shooting have begun planning funerals. Here is a list of the latest funeral information that KENS 5 has learned.
8 a.m. The Texas Department of Public Safety will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday to provide an update on the deadly Robb Elementary shooting. The press conference will be live streamed within this article.
6:35 a.m. The National Rifle Association will still be holding their convention on Friday in Houston, three days after an assault rifle was used to kill 21 people at an elementary school in Uvalde.
Below are the latest real-time updates from Thursday, May 26:
10:30 p.m. Gov. Abbott has modified his attendance plans for the upcoming NRA convention in Houston, saying he will provide a pre-recorded message while remaining in Uvalde this weekend.
9:23 p.m. During Wednesday’s press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott said “there was no known mental health history of the gunman” who took the lives of at least 21 people on Tuesday at Robb Elementary School.
Despite that, Gov. Abbott said later “anybody who shoots somebody else, has a mental health challenge.”
Mental health experts say officials must be intentional when identifying causes of mass shootings.
4:25 p.m. The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, was in Uvalde leaving flowers at a memorial site for the victims of the mass shooting.
3:40 p.m. Congressman Joaquin Castro wrote a letter to the FBI director, urging him to examine the timeline of events. Read the full letter here.
2:32 p.m. The husband of a teacher killed in the Uvalde school shooting has "died of grief", according to family members.
1:42 p.m. A law enforcement source told CBS News that the shooter entered the school with seven loaded magazines that is 210 rounds (30 rounds to each magazine). In addition in his backpack, he had more than 15 additional magazines which would translate to another 450 rounds.
The source said that Ramos dropped, or somehow lost control of the backpack that had the extra ammunition limiting him to roughly 210 rounds.
To put it in perspective: according to the source, the amount of ammunition that Ramos brought with him is double what an average US Soldier would go into basic combat with. A US soldier generally has seven magazines, one mag in the weapon and six spare magazines giving the soldier a total of 210 rounds.
The source said it appears Ramos was planning on a massive gun battle. It is unclear at this point how many rounds Ramos actually fired during the shooting spree.
1:30 p.m. The Uvalde Police Department held a news briefing to "clear up" information in what they call a "complex situation," but said the investigation will continue in the coming days.
The shooter wrecked his grandmother's truck at 11:28 a.m. on Tuesday. He jumped out of the passenger seat with a long rifle and bag containing ammunition. He reportedly walked toward two witnesses at a funeral home across the street and began firing towards them.
The gunman then continued walking to the school, climbed over the fence, entered the parking lot and began shooting "multiple times," authorities said. Most of the shooting happened in the first minutes. At 11:40 a.m., he entered the west side of the school through a door that "may have been unlocked," but authorities say they are investigating that. He walked approximately 20 to 30 feet and made a right down the hall. Then, he turned left and entered a classroom with doors open in the middle.
Police said within four minutes, multiple police departments and any law enforcement in the area were called to assist. Tactical teams and negotiators were called and special equipment, like body armor, was requested.
Police also said it's important to note that there was no school district officer that confronted the suspect. He was not confronted by anyone; only witnesses from across the street saw him go inside the school. It was about one hour later from the initial entrance that the gunman was killed. In the meantime, students and teachers were evacuated from other parts of the school.
12:22 p.m. Officials plan to give a live update on the latest in the Uvalde school shooting at 1 p.m. That press conference will be live streamed in this article.
10:52 a.m. Authorities announced they are now looking deeper into the response time from police in Uvalde amid reports of discrepancies in statements.
9:23 a.m. San Antonio Gold is collecting plush toys with the hope to collect at least 600 --- which is the amount of students said to have been at Robb Elementary school. Those who would like to donate a plush toy can do them at the following locations.
8:30 a.m.: On Thursday, May 26 at 10 AM, CHILDREN AT RISK will gather local community leaders, advocates, and mental health professionals from around the state to discuss the current needs in Uvalde, the short and long-term community impacts of a mass shooting, how to speak to children about violence and tragedy, and how social safety-net policies affect community violence.
6:30 a.m. Crosses were placed outside Robb Elementary School, honoring each victim. Nineteen of the crosses have student names and the other two say the names of the teachers who were killed.
Updates from Wednesday, May 25
8:10 p.m. A fourth grader who survived the mass shooting has shared gut-wrenching details about what he witnessed inside that classroom.
"He shot the next person’s door. We have a door in the middle. He opened it. He came in and he crouched a little bit and he said, he said, 'It's time to die,'" the boy recalled.
The boy and four others hid under a table that had a tablecloth over it, which may have shielded them from the shooter's view and saved their lives.
8:00 p.m. Juan Carranza, who lives across the street from Robb Elementary, told the Associated Press that onlookers urged police to charge into the school, shouting “Go in there! Go in there!” soon after the attack began. But he says the officers didn't enter. Minutes earlier, Carranza had watched as the suspected shooter crashed his truck into a ditch outside the school, grabbed his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and shot at two people. Those people were not injured.
Authorities said once inside the school, Ramos locked the door of a classroom and started shooting. All those who died were in that classroom.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said Border Patrol agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key.
The AP reports the shooting lasted more than 40 minutes, ending when the shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team.
6:30 p.m. Dozens packed Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio for an interfaith vigil led by Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Eighty-eight miles away, at Uvalde County Fairplex, brokenhearted families leaned on each other for support.
5:50 p.m. United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County announced a United with Uvalde fund to collect donations for mental health services for those affected. Find more information here.
4:55 p.m. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said the county's medical examiner and her staff have been working to support the Uvalde community through the identification of victims of the tragic school shooting. "Dr. Molina... and her staff are working very hard to bring closure to the families of the victims in yesterday’s tragedy. She has brought on five additional doctors to assist. Commissioners Court will be providing the financial assistance for this effort and are prepared to fund any additional staff as needed."
3:39 p.m. President Joe Biden said he will visit Texas with first lady Jill Biden in the coming days to “hopefully bring some little comfort to the community.”
“As a nation, I think we must all be there for them,” he said. “And we must ask, when it God’s name will we do what’s needed to be done."
Biden was speaking at the White House before signing an executive order on policing on the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
3:07 p.m. A pediatric Trauma Medical Director at University health said all four patients are expected to survive their injuries, but their wounds were described as "destructive".
2:23 p.m. Two law enforcement officials told CBS News that before the shooting, the gunman got into a fight with his grandmother over who would pay the phone bill. Officials stress that information is preliminary, and are not sure if that was the trigger for the deadly shooting.
2:00 p.m. UCISD invited the community to a prayer vigil Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Uvalde at the Fairplex Arena.
1:57 p.m. In a tweet, the National Rifle Association expressed their sympathy surrounding the tragedy and salute everyone who offered their services. They said as they gather in Houston this weekend at their Annual Meeting, they will reflect, pray and pledge to redouble their commitment to making schools secure.
The following is their full statement:
"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 other who offered their support and services.
Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, derange criminal. As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.
1:03 p.m. Gov. Abbott spoke about how for "60 years, an 18-year-old has been able to buy a long gun." But, he said what has changed is the status of mental health in the community. "We as a society need to do a better job with mental health," he said. "Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. We as a government need to do something about it."
12:59 p.m. Dr. Hal Harrell, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District superintendent spoke saying he would have never thought something like this would have happened after an award ceremony that day celebrating the students. "I never thought I would be sitting in front of you doing this today," he said, then asking for prayers from the community.
12:48 p.m. Candidate for Texas governor Beto O'Rourke walked into the press conference to confront Gov. Abbott and Texas leaders.
Warning: the video below contains explicit language.
12:30 p.m. Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a news conference. He opened on the horrific incident, saying how Uvalde is "shaken to its core" and "all Texans are grieving with Uvalde and people are rightfully angry." He also said this incident was pure evil by a demented person to "gun down little kids." He also praised law enforcement's quick response to save lives by killing the gunman. But, "unfortunately, not enough," Gov. Abbott said.
He went through the facts of the incident, reiterating this is an ongoing investigation.
The gunman shot his grandmother in the face. She was able to call police for help. He took off and crashed his grandmother's vehicle outside the elementary school.
Authorities with Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District approached the gunman, and he went through the backdoor into the hallway. He entered a classroom on the left side. That room connects to another classroom.
Border Patrol, police, deputies and DPS went into the school and a border patrol agent killed the gunman.
"Nineteen children lost their lives," Abbott said. "Two faculty members lost their lives." In addition, 17 people were injured, but their conditions are not life-threatening.
Gov. Abbott said all family members of students and faculty have been contacted and informed. Parents should contact Victim Services at the County Fairplex.
As for the gunman, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, he was a high school dropout with reportedly no criminal history. Although, authorities say they are investigating if he has a juvenile record. He reportedly had no mental health history.
Ramos posted on Facebook three posts that led up to the incident.
1. "I'm going to shoot my grandmother."
2. "I shot my grandmother."
3. "I'm going to shoot an elementary school."
11:55 a.m. The San Antonio Fire Department says it immediately dispatched resources to Uvalde in response to the school shooting. They include:
- One Battalion Chief
- The SAFD Command Bus
- The SAFD MPV 802 Ambulance Bus
- Two Medic Officers
- Three Medic Units
- One Medical Special Operations Unit (MSOU)
Additionally, 15 units of whole blood were immediately flown to the scene from San Antonio.
11:42 a.m. Northside ISD is responding to the Uvalde tragedy by reminding parents of security protocols already in place at NISD schools, including:
- Bullet resistant security lobbies and access control technology at every elementary school providing a single point of entry
- Digital video surveillance systems at all Northside schools and on all school buses which are monitored by the NISD Police Dept.
- Lockdown protocols that can be activated throughout any building
- Regularly conducted emergency drills
Check here for how other school districts around the area are responding.
11:03 a.m.: Governor Abbott is visiting Uvalde Wednesday. He plans to give a news conference at 12:30 p.m. That will be livestreamed in this article.
10:45 a.m. DPS said Ramos shot his grandmother before heading to the school. Authorities say he was wearing a plate carrier with no ballistic armor, according to CBS News.
10: 15 a.m. A law enforcement source said Ramos grandmother, who is in critical condition from a gunshot, was only discovered at home after the shooting at the school. The source said officers went to the home following the shooting to investigate, and found Ramos grandmother, calling for an ambulance.
"We are working with ATF, FBI, multiple law enforcement agencies on the scene, trying to determine what kind of weapon this individual had, how he obtained it and what the motives were – if any – behind this mass shooting," a DPS official said.
Additional information confirmed by KENS 5:
According to a briefing given by Texas Sen. John Whitmire, Ramos legally purchased two AR platform rifles on May 17 and May 20 from a "local federal firearms licensee." One rifle was in his crashed truck at the scene. The other rifle was with the shooter. On May 18, the suspect bought 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, according to the briefing. ATF paperwork shows he likely lived with his grandmother, where she was shot.
The information about a pursuit is not accurate, according to the briefing. The grandmother apparently worked at the school but ended in 2020.
Police officials said Tuesday evening that while the investigation is ongoing, they are not looking for any other suspects.
"My heart was broke today," Superintendent Hal Harrell said in an evening update, adding that the rest of the school year has been canceled, and plans for graduation ceremonies and all other activities have been put on hold.
Victims' identifications are coming in from families.
San Antonio Police officers and Bexar County deputies also sent resources to the scene Tuesday.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital officials told KENS 5 that 15 people were transported there.
Four other victims – a 66-year-old woman and three young girls between 9 and 10 years old – were taken to University Hospital in San Antonio. As of Wednesday morning, the 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old child were in serious condition there.
Two blood donation drives have been set up in San Antonio. Click here for more information. Some San Antonio-area districts also have announced modified security protocols for the remainder of the school year in response to the shooting.
Governor Abbott first confirmed the fatalities around 3:30 p.m. He later shared a message on Twitter:
"Texans are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime & for the community of Uvalde. Cecilia & I mourn this horrific loss & urge all Texans to come together."
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg also tweeted his condolences:
President Joe Biden briefly addressed the nation Tuesday evening, issuing an emotional call for new restrictions on firearms in the wake of the attack. He also directed that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through Saturday evening in honor of the victims.
Approximately 25,000 people live in Uvalde County, a tight-knit community 85 miles west of San Antonio and 70 miles east of the U.S. Mexico border in Del Rio. According to the most recent U.S. Census data, about 73% of the population is Hispanic or Latino, and about 50% of residents live in a home where a language other than English is spoken. Robb Elementary School is in a residential neighborhood near the center of Uvalde.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital is about two miles from the school, but San Antonio's University Hospital is the nearest Level 1 trauma center.
Families share stories
One woman said her 9-year-old grandson was recovering after being shot in the leg.
"He goes, 'It sounded like fireworks, Grandma.' It was in his classroom," she said. "We're praying for all of the children that were taken by this mass murderer. He took a life of a teacher. And all these families are at a loss for everything that's happened."
Another woman was hoping for any information on her niece, Ileana Torres, who the family hadn't heard from since the shooting.
"I'm just praying that my little one is okay," she said. "I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that I want to tell myself that she's okay. And I'm going to keep telling myself that she's okay and she's going to come home."
The girl's mother was taken by police to the back of the school to potentially identify her daughter as one of the victims, but it wasn't her. For investigators and families, working to identify the remains is an incredibly difficult process. Families still waiting at the Uvalde civic center told us they are contributing DNA to assist in the process.
The school will be closed and all school activities will be canceled until further notice. Grief counselors will be available starting Wednesday morning.
Texas Rangers are leading the investigation into the shooting. The process is expected to continue over the coming days at the elementary school.
