Uvalde, Texas Shooting
The Uvalde school shooting is the second-worst school shooting after the Sandy Hook Massacre, which claimed the lives of 26 people.
It was only two days before the kids would be out for summer break. The small town of Uvalde had a small population of 16,000, comprising mostly Latinx members.
Salvador Rolando Ramos, the 18-year-old suspect, was a Uvalde citizen. He attended Uvalde High School but dropped out days before graduation. No evidence of mental health issues or a criminal record was found. After his 18th birthday, he legally purchased two AR-15-style, military-grade, rifles. Soon after, he shot his grandmother and crashed her car before he commended the shooting. Fortunately, his grandmother survived but is in critical condition at the San Antonio Hospital.
People knew it was going to happen, but no one said anything. Ramos was in contact with a 15-year-old girl from Frankfurt, Germany. They exchanged private messages in which he revealed his plan to shoot his grandmother and attack a school.
Initially, Ramos encountered four police officers but they were unable to stop him in his bulletproof vest, equipped with a handgun and possibly a rifle. Ramos barricaded himself in a classroom, where he fired at innocent children and adults. With over 100 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, several officers drew fire away from the children, risking their own lives to save potential victims. A border patrol officer was able to stop Ramos.
Hours after the shooting, Uvalde Memorial Hospital treated 15 people (11 were children), unfortunately, two children passed away on arrival.
President Biden ordered flags to be flown around government buildings in D.C. to mourn the victims. Additionally, he plans to meet with Texas families devastated by mass shootings. World Leaders such as French President Macron, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and Pope Francis responded to the tragedy. They expressed grief for the victims while criticizing the United States for its lack of adequate gun control. Sen. Chirs Murphy, D-Conn., called for his colleagues to stop their silence. He emotionally addressed the Senate, asking, “What are we doing?” Murphy demanded gun reform and greater cooperation between the Democratic and Republican parties.
It has been 144 days since 2022 began. Uvalde was the site of the 212th mass shooting of this year. Calls for stricter gun control have been going on for decades, but no sign of change is to come. The NRA still calls for lessened gun laws and legal ownership of firearms at 18 years old.
We should not go to school or a grocery store with the constant fear of dying at any moment.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/25/us/uvalde-texas-elementary-school-shooting-what-we-know/index.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/25/1101071658/what-we-know-about-uvalde-shooting
