Children killed in Texas elementary school shooting were barricaded in classroom with killer

Irish Examiner

The 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas school barricaded himself inside a single classroom and “began shooting anyone that was in his way”, authorities said on Wednesday as they detailed the latest mass killing to rock the US.

Law enforcement officers eventually broke into the classroom and killed the gunman, who used an AR-style rifle.

Police and others responding to Tuesday’s attack also went around breaking windows at the school to enable students and teachers to escape, said Lt Christopher Olivarez, of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Lt Olivarez told CNN that all of the victims were in the same classroom at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.

The killer “barricaded himself by locking the door and just started shooting children and teachers that were inside that classroom”, he said. 

“It just shows you the complete evil of the shooter.”

Dillon Silva, whose nephew was in a nearby classroom, said students were watching a movie when a bullet shattered a window. Moments later, their teacher saw the armed assailant walk past the door.

“Oh, my God, he has a gun!” the teacher shouted twice, according to Mr Silva.

“The teacher didn’t even have time to lock the door,” he said.

Investigators did not immediately disclose a motive but identified the assailant as Salvador Ramos, a resident of the community about 85 miles west of San Antonio.

Ramos had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, suggesting that “kids should watch out”, according to state senator Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police.

Ramos legally brought two AR-style rifles just days before the attack, soon after his 18th birthday, state senators briefed by law enforcement said.

One of the guns was purchased at a federally licensed dealer in the Uvalde area on May 17, according to senator John Whitmire. Ramos bought 375 rounds of ammunition the next day, then purchased the second rifle on May 20.

On that day, an Instagram account appearing to belong to the gunman shared a photo of two AR-style rifles.

Officers found one of the rifles in Ramos’ truck, the other in the school, according to the briefing. Ramos was wearing a tactical vest, but it had no hardened body-armour plates inside, politicians were told. He also dropped a backpack containing several magazines full of ammunition near the school entrance…