The horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, at Robb Elementary School continues to grieve Americans as more details emerge following the massacre.
On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire inside a single classroom at Robb Elementary School, killing 19 children and two teachers. According to a report from Breitbart, the shooter, identified now as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, barricaded himself inside a classroom of elementary children.
Washington Examiner reported that Ramos was barricaded in the classroom for over 40 minutes while parents waited outside with law enforcement. The standoff concluded with a team of Border Patrol agents moving into the school and reportedly killing Ramos.
Law enforcement is now coming under fire from some parents and concerned citizens for failing to take action faster when Ramos was barricaded in the classroom. Javier Cazares, whose young daughter Jacklyn was killed in the attack, expressed his thoughts on the situation to Washington Examiner. “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.”
There were several variables involved in the shooting. Once Ramos barricaded himself in the classroom, for example, the situation reportedly shifted from working to apprehend a moving, active shooter to moving to capture a shooter that was potentially holding children hostage.
Once Border Patrol agents arrived, they were allegedly having a difficult time breaching the door to reach Ramos – and were only able to get inside after a staff member at the school procured a key, Washington Examiner reported.
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said, “They didn’t hesitate. They came up with a plan. They entered that classroom and they took care of the situation as quickly as they possibly could,” Ortiz outlined.
A member of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit has been identified as the agent who killed the shooter, the outlet reported. Although he sustained gun wounds on the top of his head and his leg, he was discharged from the hospital.
Preceding Ramos’ entrance into the classroom, Ramos allegedly ran to the school after he crashed his truck into a nearby ditch. According to Breitbart, he even shot at two police officers who were arriving at the scene before he reached the classroom.
Breitbart additionally reported that Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw stated, “They [law enforcement] did engage immediately. They did contain [Ramos] in the classroom.”
This is a developing story.