Megan Geall
19 children and two adults have been shot dead in a gun attack on an elementary school in the South of Texas. The suspect acted alone and was killed by enforcement officers at the scene.
What we know so far
The gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos from Ulvade, opened fire at Robb Elementary School in the City at around 11:30am on 24 May before he was killed by law enforcement officials. Ramos shot his grandmother at her home before fleeing the scene and wrecking his vehicle outside the school. Using an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines, the suspect entered the school alone and carried out the attack.
“the deadliest school shooting in modern state history”
Texas State Senator, Roland Gutierrez, called the attack, which was the deadliest school shooting in modern state history, “a tragedy” for the “quiet, beautiful community” of Ulvade—primarily a Latino city.
Although no motive has yet been confirmed, Gutierrez revealed that the gunman chose to purchase two assault weapons as soon as he turned 18.
Tuesday’s attack was carried out with a rifle while Ramos wore body armour as protection; both of these are commercially available in the US.
Biden calls for tighter gun controls in emotional speech
“America has seen 212 mass shootings already in 2022”
While this school shooting is a shocking tragedy, it is unfortunate that these acts are an unsurprising event in America. NPR reports that America has seen 212 mass shootings already in 2022; an incredible average of ten attacks a week. In recent months, we have seen a gun incident in the subway in New York and a mass shooting in Buffalo. Of all the mass shooting events so far in 2022, 27 have taken place in American schools.
In response to Tuesday’s attack, President Joe Biden addressed the public from the White House stating he was “sick and tired” of responding to mass shootings and called for tighter gun controls in the US.
“Every time a tragedy like this happens, our hearts break…Enough is enough. — Kamala Harris”
Prior to Biden’s speech, Vice President Kamala Harris also did an emotional speech on the Texas shooting, calling the event “tragic.”
“Every time a tragedy like this happens, our hearts break. And our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families– and yet it keeps happening.” Harris reflected, before simply stating: “Enough is enough. Enough is enough.”
Republican response to greater gun control proposals
Gun regulation is a heavily disputed topic in the US with Senator Chris Murphy begging his colleagues for changes, arguing that “nowhere else do little kids go to school thinking that they might be shot that day.” However, many Senators still remain against gun control, with Texas’ own Senator, Ted Cruz, rejecting them.
Restricting the rights of “law-abiding citizens…doesn’t work,” Cruz claims. “It’s not effective. It doesn’t prevent crime.”
Instead, Cruz, and many other Republicans, believe “going after felons” as well as arming school teachers with guns is the way to prevent these types of events.
Tributes begin to flood in
Few victims of the Texas shooting have been publicly identified, but one adult, labelled a “hero” for trying to protect her students, has been confirmed as fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles. She was a mother of four who had been a teacher for 23 years.
“These children are innocent”
In an interview with ABC News, Mireles’ aunt also called out for tighter gun measures, saying “I’m furious that these shootings continue. These children are innocent. Rifles should not be easily available to all.”
Tributes from families, local communities and world leaders continue to flood in today as more details are revealed about Tuesday’s horrific shooting.
Featured image courtesy of sinkdraws on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Megan Geall
Megan is a 23-year-old recent English and American Literature graduate and aspiring journalist. Her interests include food, fitness, lifestyle writing and dance!