The perpetrator of the Robb Elementary School shooting, which killed 19 children and 2 teachers, disclosed his plan on Facebook before the attack, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference on May 25.
The plan was posted on Facebook
The Governor said the gunman had posted on Facebook 3 times before the Robb Elementary School massacre.
- The first post was posted 30 minutes before the shooting, in which the perpetrator said he would shoot his grandmother.
- The second time, the gunman announced: “I shot my grandmother.”
- In the third announcement 15 minutes before the massacre, he posted: “I will shoot an elementary school”.
The gunman, whose real name is Salvador Ramos, 18, used an AR-15 to attack Robb Elementary School in Uvalde City, Texas – a predominantly Hispanic city, 120 km from the border with Mexico, and 135 km from San Antonio (Texas).
Governor Abbott said the gunman’s grandmother called the police before he shot her. Salvador Ramos has dropped out of school and has no criminal record, his health is normal, no mental illness.
Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said on May 25 that the messages posted by Salvador Ramos were “private text messages”, discovered after the attack. Facebook is cooperating with investigators.
Investigators also scrutinized an Instagram account that likely belonged to the gunman for posting a photo showing a hand holding a Gun Magazine Holder and another of two AR-15 style rifles.
Four days before the shooting, Ramos sent a friend a picture of an AR rifle and a backpack full of bullets. On his personal social media account, Ramos posts a lot of pictures of guns.
Gun Laws in Texas
Under a new law passed by Texas in September, US citizens aged 18 to 21 in the state can purchase firearms if they are found to be at risk of domestic violence, stalking, or sex trafficking.
The Texas shooting on May 24 is considered the deadliest mass shooting at an American school in nearly a decade. Authorities said all of the victims were fourth-graders and were in the same class.
Parents had to line up for DNA samples to identify the victims
At Robb Elementary School, Uvalde City, dozens of parents had to line up for DNA samples to identify the 19 students who died.
Parents waited more than 12 hours at the local administrative center and outside the school to find out if their child was still alive. Many families also post pictures of their children on social networks to find information.
Local officials said the gunman’s grandmother survived the shooting. Ramos ran into the elementary school and opened fire, killing 19 students and 2 teachers. Then, Ramos was shot down by the rapid response force.
US President Biden speaks
Speaking on the evening of May 24 at the White House, US President Joe Biden bitterly said: “Allowing an 18-year-old kid to walk into a firearms store and buy two guns is a mistake. Parents in Texas will never see their children again, never see them jump in bed and cuddle them.”
