Texas school shooting – latest: Salvador Ramos ‘barricaded class’ before killing 19 children and 2 teachers

A teenage gunman “barricaded” himself inside a classroom before murdering at least 19 children and two teachers in a shooting at a Texas primary school on 24 May, according to an official with the US Department of Homeland Security.

All of the victims were in the same fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, roughly 80 miles west of San Antonio.

The gunman, who has been named as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was reportedly shot dead by an officer who arrived on the scene. Two of the victims were Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia, both teachers at the school.

Investigators are still working to determine the sequence of events during the massacre, in which local law enforcement officers reportedly tried to engage the gunman. A first responder told CNN that it was around 30 minutes before officers “neutralised” the shooter.

Ten children who were killed in the attack have been named, including eight-year-old Uziyah Garcia and Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, Amerie Jo Garza, Makenna Lee Elrod, Xavier Javier Lopez, Jose Flores, Navaeh Brown, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Alithia Ramirez and Ellie Lugo, all aged 10.

After the attack, President Joe Biden urged Congress to end the “carnage” of gun violence in America, saying: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?”

Key points

• ‘Where in God’s name is our backbone?’: Biden demands reform

• How Republicans reacted to news of the mass shooting

• Teacher Eva Mireles and children among first victims named

• Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr delivers impassioned address on gun violence

• Gunman was ‘bullied as a child’ and became ‘different person’, says friend

Daniel Defense, the firearms manufacturers whose AR rifle was used in the Uvalde massacre

02:00 , Alex Woodward

An ad for the Daniel Defense rifle reportedly used by the Uvalde gunman – the DDM4 V7, which retails for approximately $2,00 – shows the rifle leaning against a refrigerator with the caption, “Let’s normalise kitchen Daniels. What Daniel do you use to protect your family and home?”

Who are Daniel Defense, the makers of Salvador Ramos’ AR-15?

‘Our children were crying for somebody’: Uvalde victim’s father condemns police inaction

01:15 , Alex Woodward

Jessie Rodriguez, whose 10-year-old daughter Annabell was killed in Robb Elementrry, told The Independent that “more likely many children probably still were there just bleeding out, but yet they didn’t try to rescue nobody.”

“It’s wrong to just think, ‘They’re all dead anyways.’ You don’t think negative like that; you enter and put down that man, find out if there’s still survivors – not just wait til they bleed out,” he said. “It took one hour before they could put a stop to this man ... but it’s a little bit too late.”

His remarks follow conflicting statements from Texas authorities, including a false statement that a school-assigned officer fired at the gunman before he entered the school, and a failure to fully account for the hour that followed.

Uvalde victim’s father condemns police who left children to ‘bleed out’

Hundreds pay respects as the first services are held for Uvalde victims

Tuesday 31 May 2022 00:45 , Alex Woodward

On Monday, mourners held a visitation for 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza at Hillcrest Funeral Home in advance of a rosary later that evening and funeral Mass on Tuesday – exactly one week after she was gunned down in her fourth-grade classroom.

Throngs of people carrying stuffed animals, flowers and messages swarmed Geraldine Street, where a heavy police presence remained.

They had come from far and wide to pay their respects, many with their young children in tow.

The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports from Uvalde:

Crowds pay respects at school, funeral home as first Uvalde victim visitation is held

A local reporter lost her daughter in the massacre

Tuesday 31 May 2022 00:30 , Alex Woodward

Kimberly Rubio’s daughter, Lexi, was among the 19 children killed in the Robb Elementary School massacre.

Ms Rubio – a reporter at the community newspaper the Uvalde News-Leader, which has operated in some fashion since 1879 – asked her editor whether she could write her daughter’s obituary, according to The New Yorker, which chonricled the last week at the small-town newspaper.

Lexi, who was in fourth grade, planned to major in math at St Mary’s University, which Ms Rubio attends, and then attend law school, according to an obitutary.

“Like her father, she played softball and basketball, and they both relished the time they spent practicing, one-on-one,” the obituary reads “She was so committed to the sports, she would practice on her own while he was at work, in advance of their sessions. Their playful banter, on topics from practice and school to his no-boyfriends rule, made his heart swell with girl-dad pride. His little girl was opinionated and an impassioned debater, just like her mother.”

Lexi also “looked up to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, happy to share a name and birth month with the young Congresswoman,” the obituary reads.

New: Senators will meet virtually on Monday to discuss ‘basic framework’ for gun control legislation

Tuesday 31 May 2022 00:20 , Alex Woodward

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut will participate in a virtual meeting on Tuesday in the hopes of reaching some common ground to move forward with a “basic framework” for potential bipartisan gun control legislation in Congress.

An aide for Mr Cornyn said the Zoom meeting will “see if we can agree on a basic framework” about a proposal, while an aide to Mr Murphy confirmed that the senator will be participating in the call, according to CBS News.

President Joe Biden, upon returning to the White House on Memorial Day following his visit to Uvalde, said that he believes “there’s a realization on the part of rational Republicans – and I think Senator [Mitch] McConnell is a rational Republican. I think Cornyn is as well,

”I think there’s a recognition in their part that ... we can’t continue like this. We can’t do this,” he told reporters.

ICYMI Justice Department opens probe into police response to Uvalde massacre

Tuesday 31 May 2022 00:15 , Alex Woodward

Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley announced on Sunday that the federa lagency will conduct a “critical incident review” of the police response to the mass shooting in Uvalde at the request of the city’s mayor Don McLaughlin.

The review will “provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” according to Coley.

The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing will lead the review, and a report will be published at its conclusion.

The review follows conflicting statements from Texas authorities, including a false statement that a school-assigned officer fired at the gunman before he entered the school, and a failure to fully account for the hour that followed.

Officers with the Uvalde Police Department and Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District arrived roughly four minutes after 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos entered the school, according to the timeline from law enforcement officials. But in the days that followed, officials have struggled to publicly explain what happened in the hour that followed before an officer fatally shot Ramos.

Biden ‘motivated’ to press for more gun control legislation

Tuesday 31 May 2022 00:00 , Alex Woodward

Joe Biden returned to Washington DC on Monday after visiting Uvalde, where he felt “palpable” pain within the community in the massacre’s wake.

He said he has been “pretty motivated” to advance new gun safety legislation, though he admitted that he cannot “dictate” policy through more executive actions.

The president did not offer any specifics as to what he would prefer Congress to do, but he implied the assault weapons ban he helped shepherd through Congress as part of the 1994 crime bill signed into law by then-president Bill Clinton made a difference while it was in effect.

“I know that it makes no sense to be able to purchase something that can fire up to 300 rounds,” he said. “It did significantly cut down mass murders.”

Biden says AR-15 owners who buy them to fight government would be extremely outgunned

In New Orleans: a second line tribute for the Uvalde massacre victims

Monday 30 May 2022 23:47 , Alex Woodward

In New Orleans on Sunday, schoolchildren led a traditional second line procession to recognise the 19 children and two teachers killed in the Uvalde massacre last week.

Breaking: Canada proposes national freeze on gun sales and buying back assault rifles after Uvalde shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 23:30 , Alex Woodward

Canada would implement a “national freeze” on handgun ownership and force owners of “military-style assault weapons” to sell their guns to the government under newly introduced legislation, prime minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday.

“As a government, as a society, we have a responsibility to act to prevent more tragedies,” he said.

Canada proposes freeze on gun sales and buying back assault rifles after Uvalde

Funerals begin for Uvalde victims

Monday 30 May 2022 23:00 , Alex Woodward

Uvalde began to mourn the deaths of Amerie Jo Garza and Maite Yuleana Rodriguez – both 10 years old – on Monday, with the first two services among 19 for the children killed in the Robb Elementary School massacre on 24 May.

Funerals for the other victims are scheduled throughout this week and into June.

Maite is remembered as “sweet girl” with a “kind, ambitious, friendly and sweet soul,” her obituary says.

She was an honour student “who enjoyed learning about animals and the ocean; especially dolphins, whales, and dogs” and dreamed of attending the University of Texas A&M to become a marine biologist.

Amerie, who just celebrated her 10th birthday earlier this month, is rememberd as a “kind, caring, blunt, loving, sweet, sassy and of course funny little diva who ‘hated dresses’” and “truly had a heart of gold,” her obituary says.

“She loved to eat at Chick-Fil-A and vanilla bean frape from Starbucks” and she loved to swim, draw, and spend time with family. She wanted to become an art teacher.

“A protector of her brother and as we now know her classmates,” the obituary reads. “This world will never have another Amerie. She will truly be missed.”

A grieving father’s passionate plea

Monday 30 May 2022 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Jessie Rodriguez’s 10-year-old daughter Annabel was among the 19 children killed inside Robb Elementary School.

“Assault rifles shouldn’t be sold at all, period,” he told The Independent. “We understand having an assault rifle for the military; not personal use. Not to gun down our children … all the children gunned down like they were animals.

“There’s no justice in selling a kid an assault rifle and especially that amount of clips and bullets. It’s unbelievable.”

Exclusive: Grieving father of Uvalde victim makes passionate plea for AR-15 ban

A Michigan mother and children, a Memorial Day festival and a house party: 79 victims in mass shootings in 6 days since Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 22:15 , Alex Woodward

At least 79 Americans have been wounded or killed in mass shootings within the week after the Uvalde massacre, underscoring the epidemic of gun violence and proliferation of weapons in the US.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:

The 79 victims of mass shootings in America in 6 days since Uvalde

Nine-year-old Uvalde survivor describes seeing gunman’s face as he hunted victims in school

Monday 30 May 2022 22:00 , Alex Woodward

A nine-year-old boy who survived the Uvalde massacredescribed seeing the gunman’s face staring through a classroom window as he hunted victims inside the elementary school.

Daniel, whose cousin Ellie Garcia was one of the 21 victims killed in the mass shooting, told CNN that he hid under a table before climbing through a broken window to safety.

Uvalde survivor, 9, describes seeing gunman’s face as he hunted victims in school

Texas state senator claims federal government will help build new school in Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 21:45 , Alex Woodward

Democratic Texas state Senator Roland Gutierrez claims that President Biden is willing to support the use of federal grant funding for a new school as well as the community’s healthcare in the wake of the Uvalde massacre.

The president visited the town on Sunday and told officials there “I’m not going to leave here, we’re gonna bring resources, we’re gonna look at bringing a federal grant to raze the school,’” according to Mr Gutierrez.

“Every parent that I’ve talked to doesn’t want to see this school again, is traumatized. Every little kid that I’ve talked to is scared to even go near the school,” he told MSNBC.

He also told local news outlet KSAT that the president told him that “we’re going to look to raze that school and build a new one.”

NRA board re-elects Wayne LaPierre as CEO

Monday 30 May 2022 21:15 , Alex Woodward

The longtime CEO of the nation’s largest gun rights organisation, which hosted its annual conference in Houston just days after a massacre in Uvalde, Texas, has been re-elected to lead the NRA by its board of directors, signalling no change in direction as the US grapples with gun violence and legislation to combat the proliferation of firearms.

Board support for Mr LaPierre was “almost unanimous,” according a statement on Monday.

During his remarks at the conference, on Friday, Mr LaPierre –who has served as the group’s chief executive since 1991 – described the horror that unfolded less than 300 miles from where he stood as “evil” and acknowledged the “gut wrenching, unimaginable pain” caused by the massacre.

He said an attack like the one at Robb Elementary should “never happen again” but dismissed the idea that any new legislation could prevent mass shootings in America.

The “common-sense” suggestions he offered were all lifted from remarks he gave a decade ago, at a press conference held one week after another gunman murdered 27 people at Sandy Hook.

NRA boss recycles post-Sandy Hook lines as he vows to oppose any new gun laws

Uvalde’s only paediatrician recounts racing to hospital to help shooting victims

Monday 30 May 2022 21:00 , Alex Woodward

Dr Roy Guerrero, an Uvalde native, attended Robb Elementary School as a child, according to NBC5. He was at lunch on 24 May when he began receiving desperate text messages calling for his help.

“I called the hospital, Uvalde Memorial, to ask if they needed me and they said, ‘Yes, get over here right now,’” Dr Guerrero said.

He sped to the hospital to find a chaotic scene unlike any other he has witnessed in his professional career.

Uvalde’s only paediatrician recounts racing to hospital to help shooting victims

GOP congressman appears to compare guns to getting stuck on DC’s metro

Monday 30 May 2022 20:45 , Alex Woodward

In an inteview with Newsmax’s National Report on Monday, Republican US Rep Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma appeared to try to minimise the legitimate concerns about gun violence in America and the broad scope of the Second Amendment by comparing those fears to his own concerns about riding the DC Metro, famous for its maintenance issues, after he was “stuck” one time on a train.

GOP congressman appears to compare mass shootings to getting stuck on DC metro

‘Thoughts and prayers are not enough’: All 13 state senators in Texas demand gun control legislation

Monday 30 May 2022 20:30 , Alex Woodward

All 13 Senate Democrats in the Texas state legislature demanded lawmakers pass legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21 years old.

Salvador Ramos, the gunman in the Uvalde massacre, was 18 years old. He had two AR-style rifles with him.

“Texas has suffered more mass shootings over the past decade than any other state,” according to the letter.

“In Sutherland Springs, 26 people died. At Santa Fe High School outside Houston, 10 people died. In El Paso, 23 people died at a Walmart. Seven people died in Midland-Odessa,” it continues. “After each of these mass killings, you have held press conferences and roundtables promising things would change. After the slaughter of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, those broken promises have never rung more hollow. The time to take real action is now.”

Services begin today for 21 killed in Uvalde massacre

Monday 30 May 2022 20:10 , Alex Woodward

Services for the 19 children and two teachers killed in last Tuesday’s massacre at Robb Elementary School begin today.

Families and the community are mourning Amerie Jo Garza – among the children who called 911 – at one of the first wakes held for the victims.

The fourth-grade student had just turned 10 years old.

‘Our children were crying for somebody’: Uvalde victim’s father condemns police who left kids to ‘bleed out’

Monday 30 May 2022 20:24 , Alex Woodward

Jessie Rodriguez, whose 10-year-old daughter Annabell was killed in the attack, told The Independent that “more likely many children probably still were there just bleeding out, but yet they didn’t try to rescue nobody.”

“It’s wrong to just think, ‘They’re all dead anyways.’ You don’t think negative like that; you enter and put down that man, find out if there’s still survivors – not just wait til they bleed out,” he said. “It took one hour before they could put a stop to this man ... but it’s a little bit too late.”

Uvalde victim’s father condemns police who left children to ‘bleed out’

“Gun reform’s biggest enemy is a Senate with too much time on its hands"

Monday 30 May 2022 19:30 , Alex Woodward

The political winds in a Congress deadlocked by GOP obstruction are still shifting against gun control legislation– but there was a moment last week signalling a change.

Then Chuck Schumer made a fatal error: He sent everyone home.

Recess is typically an enemy of any legislation, writes The Independent’s Eric Garcia:

Gun reform’s biggest enemy is a Senate with too much time on its hands

Teacher who survived Uvalde shooting ‘haunted’ by image of shooter

Monday 30 May 2022 19:10 , Gino Spocchia

The teacher and a survior of the attack on Robb Elementary School has said has said she is ‘haunted’ by the image of gunman Salvador Ramos.

“I can close my eyes and I see that image of him and that gun walking up to my school,” said Uvalde elementary teacher Nicole Ogburn in an interview with Today on Monday. “And it haunts me”.

She also recalled the duration of the attack feeling like an “eternity” and added: “I just remember praying, please God, please God, keep us safe”.

Asked who was to blame for the attack and criticism of the police response, Ms Ogburn said the 18-year-old shooter was “the person to blame”.

Biden says AR-15 owners who say they need weapons to ‘take on the government’ would be extremely outgunned

Monday 30 May 2022 19:00 , Alex Woodward

Biden said people who believe they need to equip themselves with AR-style rifles to “take on the government” are “wrong” because the weapons they would need aren’t legal to own.

“To do that you need an F-15, you need an Abrams tank,” he said.

The president, speaking to reporters on Memorial Day after visiting Uvalde on Sunday, said he has been “pretty motivated” to enact new gun safety laws long before he travelled to Texas to meet with the families of victims and survivors of the massacre.

He said the pain he encountered was “palpable,” adding that it was “hard to say” if congressoinal Republicans would accept any of the proposals that have been floated in the last week.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington:

Biden says AR-15 owners who buy them to fight government would be extremely outgunned

The former FBI agent who created active shooter protocol says Uvalde officers failed their training

Monday 30 May 2022 18:50 , Alex Woodward

Katherine Schweit, who authored Stop the Killing and ran the FBI’s active shooter protocol programme following the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, suggests that the Uvalde officers who responded to the shooting may been unprepared, leading to “fatal results.”

“Law enforcement officers need to be mentally prepared before they arrive on the scene, so they can respond immediately,” she wrote in The New York Times.

“Every shooting is evaluated in three parts: How could we have prevented the shooting? Did we respond effectively to save lives? How are we helping the community recover?” she said.

But active shooter attacks are growing, according to FBI stats. Law enforcement isn’t stopping them, but, Ms Schweit had hoped, perhaps they were getting better in their responses to them.

“But if the 78 minutes that the police in Uvalde waited before confronting the gunman at Robb Elementary are any indication, the answer is: We aren’t,” she said.

Creator of FBI’s active shooter protocol blasts Uvalde police

What will come of Senate negotiations on legislation?

Monday 30 May 2022 18:40 , Gino Spocchia

With Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer giving Democrats and Republicans about a fortnight to consider a compromise on gun legislation following the massacre in Uvalde, some believe this time the Senate might be able to act on calls to curb such tragedies.

But as The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes in his latest column, “The Senate is typically the place where gun legislation goes to die”. Read on here...

Gun reform’s biggest enemy is a Senate with too much time on its hands

Grieving father of Uvalde victim makes passionate plea for AR-15 ban to The Independent

Monday 30 May 2022 18:30 , Alex Woodward

The father of Uvalde victim Annabell Rodriguez, 10, is channeling his grief into anger about assault weapon sales and the disastrous police response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School, he tells The Independent’s Sheila Flynn.

“There’s no justice in selling a kid an assault rifle and especially that amount of clips and bullets,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Exclusive: Grieving father of Uvalde victim makes passionate plea for AR-15 ban

Ramos had more ammunition than average US soldier, experts say

Monday 30 May 2022 18:10 , Gino Spocchia

Uvalde gunman Salvador Ramos used 142 rounds of ammunition at Robb Elementary School, where 19 children and two teachers were killed last week.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said on Friday that investigators found 315 rounds of ammunition inside of the school, 142 of which were used, and more than 900 outside the building.

Authorities also Ramos purchased more than 1,600 rounds along with two AR-15 rifles on his 18th birthday – just eight days prior to his attack.

Experts have said an average US soldier would usually take just 210 rounds into basic combat in comparison, as Rachel Sharp reports:

Shooter took more ammunition to Uvalde school than soldier takes to battle

Harrowing video shows children fleeing from classroom window

Monday 30 May 2022 18:08 , Alex Woodward

Video footage shared by Good Morning America shows children breaking through windows and racing out the door as they attempted to flee the massacre at Robb Elementary School.

New video shows children fleeing from classroom window during Uvalde school shooting

Biden: ‘Rational’ Republicans should be willing to approach gun control legislation.

Monday 30 May 2022 18:07 , Alex Woodward

President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday that there is “no rational basis” for high-powered rifles for self defense or hunting.

“The Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute,” he said. “You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed.”

He suggested “rational“ Republicans are willing to approach gun control legislation, though he conceded that he has not yet spoken with any GOP members of Congress and stressed that he can’t legislate beyond the executive actions the administration already has taken to combat the proliferation of illegal guns.

“But I can’t outlaw a weapon. I can’t change a background check. I can’t do that,” he said.

Airlines providing free flights for families to Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 17:50 , Gino Spocchia

As families of victims of the Uvalde school shooting prepare for memorials and funerals, the Uvalde Leader-News reports that major US airlines have offered free flights for any relatives needing to reach the southern Texas town.

American Airlines confirmed to The Independent on Monday it was one of the airlines offering flights. The others, although not confirmed, are United, JetBlue and Southwest.

The initiative has reportedly been organised through the family assistance centre at the Uvalde County Event Center, which is offering multiple services to victims, survivors, and their loved ones.

New video of Uvalde shooting shows children fleeing

Monday 30 May 2022 17:25 , Gino Spocchia

Distressing new footage has been released from last week’s attack on Robb Elementary School, showing children attempting to flee the 18-year-old  gunman who opened fire on them.

The video, which was released by Good Morning America on Monday, also shows dozens of officers and first responders surrounding the school building.

As Johanna Chisholm writes, some children were even seen being lifted out of classrooms via windows:

New video shows children fleeing from classroom window during Uvalde school shooting

Under fire police chief was elected to council this month

Monday 30 May 2022 17:10 , Gino Spocchia

The police chief who made the call to not to confront the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers last week was elected to Uvalde’s City Council this month.

Pedro Arredondo was elected during the 7 May election, local news outlets reported, having been head of Uvalde police since 2020.

He has since been given protection by officers from a neighbouring police department, The New York Times reports, amid criticism of his call for officers not to storm the classroom

Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the decision  by the chief of police for Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District was “not the right” one.

Mr Arrendondo has not commented on the reports, as The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm writes:

Police chief who made the call not to breach classroom was elected to City Council

Matthew McConaughey makes visit to hometown

Monday 30 May 2022 16:40 , Gino Spocchia

“True Detective” and “Interstellar” actor Matthew McConaughey met with families and community members in Uvalde on Friday following the shooting in his hometown.

McConaughey was pictured visiting the Uvalde Civic Center with Texas congressman Tony Gonzalez who tweeted: “Appreciate Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey helping us heal. #UvaldeUnited”.

The actor posted a message of his own last week on Twitter calling on Americans to “find a common ground above this devastating American reality that has tragically become our children’s issue”.

Reports said McConaughey’s mother was a teacher at St Philip’s Episcopal School, about a mile from Robb Elementary School.

Lawmaker says Biden considering demolishing Uvalde school

Monday 30 May 2022 16:10 , Gino Spocchia

Joe Biden has said that he is considering demolishing the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed last week in one of the worst mass shootings in Texas and US history.

State Senator Roland Gutierrez told KSAT on Sunday that the president promised to provide federal resources to potentially raze Robb Elementary School and build a new campus.

The sites of mass shootings are often torn down as survivors struggle to return to the place of trauma while there are also concerns about such places attracting fanatics, as Rachel Sharp writes:

Biden suggests demolishing Uvalde school after mass shooting

Amanda Gorman releases new poem ‘Hymn for the Hurting’

Monday 30 May 2022 15:40 , Gino Spocchia

The United States’s  youth poet laureate and author of “The Hill We Climb” has written a series of poems on gun violence following last week’s massacre at  Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Taking to Twitter following the shooting last week, Amanda Gorman wrote about the failure of lawmakers to stop further school shootings with words including “Schools scared to death.

The truth is, one education under desks”.

In another poem on Friday called “Hymn for the Hurting”, she addressed the grief felt by many and that hate “can be transformed, Into a love that lets us live.” That poem was published via The New York Times.

Abbott booed by Uvalde amid calls for gun control

Monday 30 May 2022 15:10 , Gino Spocchia

One man could be heard shouting: “We need change, governor,” as Texas’s Greg Abbott arrived in Uvalde on Sunday.

“Our children are under constant attack in this community”, the same man added amid booing aimed at the Republican. Another voice was heard shouting “shame on you, Abbott”, reports said.

Texas has seen eight mass shootings in the last 13 years, as The Texas Tribune reported last week, but Mr Abbott has rubbished calls for tighter gun laws.

In fact, Texas became the latest state to allow the carrying of handguns without a licence in September – expanding the right to carry arms, as Sravasti Dasgupta writes:

Texas expanded access to guns less than a year before deadly school shooting

Democrat opponent says Abbott ‘should have acted’ amid booing

Monday 30 May 2022 14:40 , Gino Spocchia

Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat running to oust Texas governor Greg Abbott later this year, again offered criticism of his Republican rival for not acting sooner on gun control.

Mr O’Rourke tweeted on Sunday night that Mr Abbott “should have acted” after previous shootings across the US but “refused”.

The remarks came after Mr Abbott who booed on a visit to Uvalde, where he attended the memorial for the 19 children and two adults killed last week.

The Republica  had earlier pulled out of an appearance at the National Rival Association (NRA)’s conference, which was instead attended by former US president Donald Trump.

Mr Abbott suggested last week that the Uvalde gunman’s mental health was at fault for the attack, and rubbished calls for tighter gun laws in his state.

Salvador Ramos ‘livestreamed animal abuse’, classmates say

Monday 30 May 2022 14:10 , Gino Spocchia

New details continue to emerge about the 18-year-old shooter who killed 21 people in Texas last week, including a history of violence and animal abuse.

Salvador Ramos was a “bully” who provoked other people in order to pick fights and was seen hurting dogs, his classmates from Uvalde High School have claimed.

“He would go to the park and try to pick on people and he loved hurting animals,” classmate Jaime Arellano told the Daily Beast.

Others alleged that Ramos boasted about torturing animals and aired his acts of animal abuse on the French live streaming platform Yubo, and that he also threatened girls with “acts of sexual assault and violence”.

The claims counter those from his family, who have described their son has being the victim of bullying himself, as my colleague Alisha Rahaman Sarkar writes:

Texas shooter Salvador Ramos ‘loved hurting animals’, claims classmate

Justice Department probe will hold Uvalde police 'account’

Monday 30 May 2022 13:40 , Gino Spocchia

The US Department of Justice will investigate the police response to the Uvalde school shooting following criticism of the response to last week’s shooting.

Spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement on Sunday that the investigation came “at the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin” and that the probe’s goal would be to hold law enforcement “account”.

“We’re all angry,” said Democratic Texas state senator Roland Gutierrez on Sunday. “Law enforcement’s angry. I had a long conversation this morning on the way in with Steve McCraw (the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety), and he was crying to me and I’m crying to him”.

Among the details to come out last week about the initial police response include the fact that 911 calls were received by police from teachers and children inside Robb Elementary School but officers did not storm the building until an hour later.

Mr McCraw has since described that delay as “the wrong decision”, as my colleague Gustaf Kilander reports:

Justice Department to investigate police response to Texas school shooting

Funeral costs covered by donor ahead of visitations

Monday 30 May 2022 13:10 , Gino Spocchia

The funeral costs for all Uvalde shooting victims will be covered by an anonymous donor who last week gave $175,000 (£138,568) to authorities and families to help with those costs.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the donation during a press conference on Friday and said: “We appreciate that anonymous donor for his generosity, and we will ensure that those resources get into the right hands”.

On Monday, the first visitation for one of the victims killed in the attack is due to be held at the Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, as The Independent’s Johanna Chrishlom writes:.

Anonymous donor covers all the funeral expenses for the Uvalde shooting victims

Schools across US still reacting to Uvalde shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 12:40 , Gino Spocchia

Schools across the United States will continue with lessons on Monday as last week’s massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde remains on the minds of students, teachers and their families.

Many schools have ramped up police presence in states such as Connecticut, Michigan and New York, after the shooting on Tuesday that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Backpacks or large handbags have also been banned by schools in Florida’s Duval County, the Associated Press reports.

On Friday, a Texas school district 200 miles (320 kilometres) southeast of Uvalde ended the school year a week early following a false threat that school officials said added “more stress and trauma” to the school community.

Students last week walked out of lessons across the US  in protest at lawmakers’ failure to pass tougher gun control laws.

After Texas shooting, schools around US boost security

Hundreds attend Mass in wake of school shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 12:10 , Gino Spocchia

The first Sunday worship in Uvalde since last week’s school shooting brought together locals, community leaders and relatives of victims – some of whom had not been to church in years.

“We just lean on God,” Cleo Hernandez told The Texas Tribune as she attended the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Uvalde. “He will take care of us.”

US President Joe Biden also attended Mass on Sunday at the century-old church with his wife and first lady Jill Biden. More than 600 people gathered with them

Faith leaders told the Texas newspaper that while appealing to God for healing, action was also needed to support the town of 15,000.

“We always have a lot of words, but I just think a hug or holding their hand or saying a prayer with them is more effective than anything else,” Gary Janak, an auxiliary bishop of San Antonio, said.

Texas gunman’s grandmother in ‘fair’ condition

Monday 30 May 2022 11:40 , Gino Spocchia

The grandmother of Uvalde gunman Salvador Ramos may never be able to speak again after she was shot by her 18-year-old grandson last Tuesday.

Family of Celia “Sally” Martinez Gonzales said she was in a “fair” condition in hospital but had her teeth “shattered” by a bullet going through her jaw. She is 66-years-old.

“If the bullet was an inch in another direction, it would have blown her head off. She’s doing fairly well, considering what happened, her cousin, Jason Ybarra told The New York Post. “But she may never be able to talk again”.

As The Independent’s Alisha Rahaman Sarkar writes, Ms Gonzales called police herself after she was shot in the face before her grandson carried out the attack on Robb Elementary School.

Texas gunman’s grandmother may never talk again, says family

Mass shootings continue across US despite Uvalde massacre

Monday 30 May 2022 11:05 , Gino Spocchia

While US President Joe Biden has called on legislators to act, and the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the police response in Uvalde, such events continue elsewhere across the country.

In fact, there have been nearly a dozen mass shootings in the US since last week’s shooting in Uvalde, where 19 children and their two teachers were killed by a gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit organisation collecting data on shooting events, there were 11 mass shootings this weekend alone. Another three also occurred on Wednesday and Friday last week.

On Sunday, a shooting at a festival in Oklahoma left a woman dead and seven others injured, reports say. My colleague Shewta Sharma has more on that story below:

One dead, seven injured after Oklahoma festival shooting

Salvador Ramos ‘loved hurting animals’

Monday 30 May 2022 10:27 , Namita Singh

Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old gunman who killed 21 people in the Robb Elementary School attack, was a bully who used to abuse animals, claim his Uvalde High School classmates.

“He would go to the park and try to pick on people and he loved hurting animals,” his schoolmate, Jamie Arellano told the Daily Beast.

“He would try and call people names and start fights,” he said recalling a time when Ramos also attacked a dog.

“I remember there was one time we saw him beating a little dog senseless.”

Others who knew Ramos also painted a picture deeply troubled individual who was bullied for a speech impediment.

“He would get bullied hard, like bullied by a lot of people,” Stephen Garcia told the Washington Post. “Over social media, over gaming, over everything.

“He was the nicest kid, the most shyest kid. He just needed to break out of his shell,” he added.

Santos Valdez Jr, 18, told the Post that he had known Ramos since their early days of elementary school, adding that they were friends until Ramos’ behaviour began to grow worse.

They used to play video games together before Ramos changed. Mr Valdez described an encounter when Ramos arrived at a park where they used to play basketball with cuts all over his face, initially saying he had been scratched by a cat.

“Then he told me the truth, that he’d cut up his face with knives over and over and over,” Mr Valdez said. “I was like, ‘You’re crazy, bro, why would you do that?’”

Texas shooter, ‘the sheer face of evil’

Monday 30 May 2022 09:33 , Namita Singh

The gunman who killed at least 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday has been named as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.

Governor Greg Abbott said Ramos, who was eventually shot dead by law enforcement officers, was “the sheer face of evil”.Ramos was a student at Uvalde High School and lived in the small city 80 miles west of San Antonio.

The teen had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, state senator Roland Gutierrez told reporters. “He suggested the kids should watch out,” the lawmaker said.

Ramos sent a direct message to an individual on a Facebook platform reading, “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.”

Here is everything we know about the shooter:

Salvador Ramos: Everything we know about 18-year-old Texas school mass shooter

Timeline of events on the day of shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 08:49 , Namita Singh

The Texas authorities have been accused of providing contradictory information about what happened on 24 May when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

While the investigation of the massacre is ongoing, with the Department of Justice probing the police response, here is the sequence of events that have been disclosed to the public so far.

Around 11am: Ramos shoots his grandmother in the face

11.27am: Video shows a teacher, whom authorities haven’t publicly identified, propping open an exterior door of the school

11.28am: The teacher exits to retrieve a phone and then returns through the exit door, which remains propped open

11.28am: Ramos crashes the pickup into a drainage ditch behind the school

11.30am: 911 receives a call saying there was a crash and a man with a gun at the school

11.31am: Ramos begins shooting at the school from the school parking lot

11.32am: He fires multiple shots at the school and then makes his way toward the open door.

11.33am: Ramos enters the school and begins shooting into two adjoining classrooms, 111 and 11

11.35am: Three city police officers enter the school through the same door that Ramos used and are later followed by four other officers

11.37am: Gunfire continues, with 16 rounds being shot in total

11.51am: A police sergeant and other law enforcement begin to arrive

12.03pm: A female (age unknown) calls 911 and whispers that she’s in classroom 11

12.03pm: Officers continue to enter the school, with as many as 19 officers in the hallway near the room where Ramos is holed up

12.06pm: Anne Marie Espinoza, a spokeswoman for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, posts on the district’s Facebook page: “All campuses are under a Lockdown Status.”

12.10pm: The female (age unknown) who called 911 at 12.03pm calls 911 again and says there are multiple dead

12.10pm: The first group of deputy US marshals from Del Rio arrive from nearly 70 miles (11km) away to assist the various other law enforcement officers already on scene, according to the Marshals Service.

12.15pm: US Border Patrol tactical team members arrive with shields

12.19pm: Another girl in room 111 calls 911 and ends the call when a fellow student tells her to hang up

12.21 pm: Ramos fires his gun again and officers believe he’s at one of the door of one of the adjoining classrooms

12.21pm: Three shots can be heard during a 911 call, McCraw said.

12.36pm: A child calls 911 for 21 seconds.

12.43pm: The girl urges the 911 dispatcher to “please send the police now”

12.46pm: The girl says she can “hear the police next door”

12.47pm: She again asks 911 to “please send the police now”

12.50pm: Officers open the doors with keys from a school employee, enter the classroom and kill Ramos

12.51pm: Officers can be heard moving children out of the room

12.58pm: Law enforcement radio chatter says Ramos has been killed and the siege is over

Timeline by Associated Press

DoJ to investigate police response to Texas shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 08:40 , Namita Singh

The US Department of Justice will investigate the police response to the Uvalde school shooting, said the department spokesperson in a statement.

“At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the US Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24,” said Anthony Coley.

“The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events.”

My colleague Gustaf Kilander reports:

Justice Department to investigate police response to Texas school shooting

Video: Bidens visit memorial at Robb Elementary School

Monday 30 May 2022 08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Biden met by protesters on Uvalde school visit

Monday 30 May 2022 07:51 , Namita Singh

Joe Biden faced calls from protesters to “do something” as he visited the Uvalde community on Sunday to grieve with families left anguished and shattered by last week’s gun violence.

The US president arrived at Robb Elementary School along with first lady Jill Biden and visited an expansive memorial of 21 white crosses for the 19 students and two teachers killed in the mass shooting.

Ms Biden laid a bouquet of white flowers, while the couple stood by each altar for some time as the first lady touched the children’s life-size photos along the long row. The president was also seen wiping away a tear at one point.

After visiting the memorial, Mr Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where family members of the shooting victims were already assembled.

My colleague Shweta Sharma reports:

Biden met by protesters on Uvalde school visit: ‘Do something’

Uvalde survivor describes Robb Elementary School shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 07:44 , Namita Singh

Describing the moments when the 18-year-old gunman opened fire on his class, Daniel Ruiz, 9, said in an interview that his teacher “tried to call” 911 but they didn’t pick up “so, she had to text them”.

“Daniel, you climbed out through a window with broken glass?” asked a CNN journalist. Responding in the affirmative, the fourth-grader pointed at his palm showing an injury from the glass.

While the shooter was unable to enter his classroom because the teacher locked the “door and broke the keys”, Ruiz says that the gunman shot “four bullets into our class”.

“Our teacher got shot in her leg and her torso,” he said recalling seeing the gunman’s face through the window.

He said that his teacher was “trying to call” 911 but “as soon as she was about to push the call button, he showed up to the window. She really can’t...”

“But someone called them but they were like… she tried to call them but they didn’t pick up. So, she had to text them.”

“How do you feel about going back in the fall?” asked the journalist.

“Nervous,” he said.

Harry Styles donates $1 million to gun safety

Monday 30 May 2022 07:08 , Namita Singh

Harry Styles has pledged to donate $1m (£790,760) to American nonprofit organisation Everytown, which advocates for gun control and against gun violence.

“Along with all of you, I have been absolutely devastated by the recent string of mass shootings in America, culminating at the latest in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” the 28-year-old singer wrote on Instagram.

“On our North American tour, we will be partnering with Everytown who work to end gun violence, donating to support their efforts, and sharing their suggested action items.

Peony Hirwani reports:

Harry Styles donates $1 million to gun safety organisation after Uvalde shooting

In pictures: Bidens visit Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Texas governor booed during his visit to Uvalde school

Monday 30 May 2022 06:37 , Namita Singh

Texas governor Greg Abbott faced a jeering crowd on Sunday as he visited the site of the school shooting in Uvalde.

One man could be heard shouting: “We need change, governor.

“Our children are under constant attack in this community. We need help.”

Another voice in the crowd could be heard shouting “shame on you, Abbott”, according to Reuters.

Read the details in this report by Sravasti Dasgupta:

Texas governor Greg Abbott is booed as he visits Uvalde school

Explained: Why Donald Trump seeks to court gun-owning voters

Monday 30 May 2022 06:25 , Namita Singh

The former president’s appearance at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention sparked plenty of consternation – but that will matter little to him, writes our Premium editor Chris Stevenson.

Read the analysis here:

Politics Explained: Why Donald Trump seeks to court gun-owning voters

Uvalde state senator condemns handling of school shooting

Monday 30 May 2022 06:24 , Namita Singh

Roland Gutierrez, the Texas state senator who represents the city of Uvalde, has said that while there were clearly major failures in the law enforcement response to this week’s school shooting, the blame for what happened is shared far more widely.

Mr Gutierrez, a Democrat, was speaking to Dana Bash, host of CNN’s “State of the Union”, on Sunday.

“I had a long talk with Colonel McCraw yesterday,” said the senator, referring to the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. “He’s devastated… he’s acknowledged that there were errors here. What I’ve suggested is that it’s not fair to put it on the local ISD cop.

Roland Gutierrez

My colleague Andrew Naughtie has more:

Uvalde’s state senator says ‘Everybody failed’ massacred schoolchildren

Texas lawmaker grilled over gun restrictions

Monday 30 May 2022 06:23 , Namita Singh

A Texas lawmaker was pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash over why he was rejecting out of hand provisions that many experts agree would have stopped or at least had a chance of preventing the horrific massacre in Uvalde, Texas last week.

Dan Crenshaw, a conservative Repubican known for his public sparring with far-right members of his own party like Marjorie Taylor Greene, joined CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday for an interview with Ms Bash, who spoke live from the scene of the shooting in Mr Crenshaw’s home state that last weekend resulted in the deaths of nearly 20 young children.

In the interview, Mr Crenshaw roundly rejected a number of suggestions that have popped up in resposne to the Uvalde shooting, such as raising the age requirement for ownership of an AR-15 or the imposition of so-called “red flag laws”.

John Bowden reporting the details:

Texas Rep Dan Crenshaw grilled over rejection of gun restrictions after Uvalde

Health of suspect’s grandmother 'improving'

Monday 30 May 2022 06:21 , Namita Singh

The health of the grandmother of the Uvalde elementary school shooter slightly improved on Sunday as the University Health system in San Antonio upgraded her status to “fair condition”.

The 18-year-old suspect, Salvador Ramos, is accused of shooting his grandmother shortly before heading to Robb Elementary School where he open fired, killing 21.

His 66-year-old grandmother was initially listed in critical condition on Tuesday and was in serious condition all week before being upgraded.

The hospital also provided an update on the health status of three other shooting victims, of which a 10-year-old girl was listed to be in “serious condition” while a 9-year-old was said to be “good”.

Texas Democratic caucus demands special session on gun violence

Monday 30 May 2022 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The Texas Democratic caucus demanded a special session on gun violence in a letter to the state’s governor, Republican Greg Abbott.

“Texas has suffered more mass shootings over the past decade than any other state. In Sutherland Springs, 26 people died. At Santa Fe High School, 10 people died. In El Paso, 23 people died at a Walmart. Seven people died in Midland-Odessa,” the caucus wrote in a letter on Saturday.

“After each of these mass killings, you have held press conferences and roundtables promising things would change. After the slaughter of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, those broken promises have never rung more hollow. The time to take real action is now,” the letter said.

It was signed by 13 members of the state Democratic caucus.

“We need evidence-based, common sense gun safety laws. Without a doubt, if at least some of the measures noted above had been passed since 2018, then many lives could have been saved,” they added.

“Guns should not be easier to access than health insurance, baby formula, voting, books and enlisting in the military. We are not trying to take away Second Amendment rights. Instead, we are asking for reasonable laws or restrictions that will create a safer Texas for all of us. Taking action requires bravery. The proposed solutions are not new. We cannot wait for another tragedy to occur. Texas has the power to protect its people; it is time we do so,” they wrote.

Bidens visits Texas shooting memorial

Monday 30 May 2022 05:47 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden has visited the scene of the deadly Texas school shooting to pay his respects to those who lost their lives.

The US leader and first lady Jill Biden arrived at the town of Uvalde and first visited the memorial outside Robb Elementary school.

They took a moment to view each of the 21 white crosses – representing the 19 children and two teachers who were killed – and lay white roses in front of the school’s sign.

The Bidens attended mass at the Sacred Heart church where they encountered protesters who pleaded with the president to “do something”, prompting him twice to respond: “We will.”

My colleague Zaina Alibhai reports:

Joe Biden visits Texas memorial as another review into police response is announced

‘We are committed to turning this into action’

Monday 30 May 2022 05:46 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden after his visit to the Robb Elementary School on Sunday tweeted his grief for the lives lost in the massacre.

“To everyone impacted by the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: We grieve with you. We pray with you. We stand with you,” he tweeted.

“And we’re committed to turning this pain into action.”

Governors diverge on gun control

Monday 30 May 2022 05:45 , Namita Singh

As the US mourns the victims of its latest mass shooting, Democratic and Republic governors are moving towards different solutions to reduce shooting incidents in the country.

While the Democrats are calling for greater restrictions on guns, Republicans want more security at schools.

The partisan split has stymied action in Congress and many state capitols, with the political differences highlighting the tensions between life, liberty and constitutional rights.

Read more on this here:

Governors diverge on gun control, school security efforts

‘We need change’: Abbott heckled at Uvalde memorial site

Monday 30 May 2022 05:18 , Namita Singh

A crowd of onlookers booed Governor Greg Abbott during his visit to Robb Elementary School on Sunday.

“Please Governor Abbott help Uvalde county,” one person shouted. “We need change! We need change, governor!”

While the Republican earlier promised action, he said the measures would focus on mental health and school safety.

“You can expect robust discussion and my hope is laws passed that I will sign addressing health care in this state,” he had said on Friday. “There are an array of health issues that relate to those who commit gun crimes.”

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy says Congress has the will to act after Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 05:01 , John Bowden

A Connecticut senator who won praise last week for his passionate response to the Uvalde shooting on the Senate floor now says he thinks Republicans are willing to come to the table and discuss reforms to tackle mass shootings.

Sen Chris Murphy joined CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday and told host Margaret Brennan that he’s seeing more interest from Republicans in pursuing bipartisan reforms than at any point in his career since the deadly Sandy Hook shooting in his home state under the Obama presidency.

“Republicans are not willing to support everything that I support, like banning assault weapons, but I really think that we could pass something that saves lives and breaks this logjam that we’ve had for 30 years,” he told Ms Brennan.

More GOP senators like Susan Collins, who expressed support last week for red flag laws, are “coming to the table” than they have at any recent point, he added.

Read more:

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy says Congress has the will to act after Uvalde

‘We will!’ Biden responds to demonstrators in Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 03:49 , Gustaf Kilander

Arkansas governor claims Uvalde shooting doesn’t mean guns fail to keep people safe

Monday 30 May 2022 02:55 , Gustaf Kilander

Alabama congressman blames ‘decline in moral values’ for rise in mass shootings

Monday 30 May 2022 02:00 , Gustaf Kilander

In pictures: Bidens attend Mass in Uvalde

Monday 30 May 2022 01:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Bidens attend Mass in Uvalde following memorial visit

Monday 30 May 2022 00:28 , Gustaf Kilander

President Biden and the first lady attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with around 600 others about a mile from Robb Elementary School.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller began by saying “our hearts are broken”.

“In the midst of collapse and devastation, we have come once more to this our house. To pray. And be together,” a service leader said before the start of the Mass.

“Mr President has a very good understanding of what is happening now, here. And we are very gracious of his spirit,” another service leader said at the start of the service.

Copycat threat lasts around two weeks, former FBI agent says

Sunday 29 May 2022 23:35 , Gustaf Kilander

The threat of a copycat attack stays at high levels for around two weeks after a school shooting, a retired FBI agent has said.

“Studies have shown that, generally, the copycat phenomenon lasts for … maybe two weeks,” retired FBI special agent Michael Tabman told Fox News Digital. “That is when we’re most at risk of a copycat, and there are many factors that go into why so many copycats, but the risk is there.”

Officials in California and Colorado have raised concerns about an attack and Denver police detained two people on Thursday and confiscated paintball guns following a report of a weapon on campus.

Booker says ‘nothing is going to change’ until love of children overtake love of guns

Sunday 29 May 2022 22:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Top Senate gun control advocate says Republicans more interested in possible reform this time

Sunday 29 May 2022 22:25 , Gustaf Kilander

Kinzinger says he’s ‘open’ to assault rifle ban

Sunday 29 May 2022 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Texas congressman rejects red flag law as enforcing the law before it’s broken

Sunday 29 May 2022 21:35 , Gustaf Kilander

Texas Governor Greg Abbott booed by crowd as he arrives to visit Robb Elementary school with Biden

Sunday 29 May 2022 21:10 , Gustaf Kilander

Biden consoles families and school staff affected by Uvalde school shooting

Sunday 29 May 2022 20:50 , Gustaf Kilander

Bidens meet with survivors and families of victims

Sunday 29 May 2022 20:49 , Gustaf Kilander

The motorcade transporting the president and the first lady arrived at Uvalde County Arena at 1.39pm where they are meeting survivors and relatives of the shooting in a meeting set to last three hours, according to the scheduling.

The meeting is closed to the media.

Family of soul musician Isaac Hayes calls out Trump for using song during NRA speech

Sunday 29 May 2022 20:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The family of Isaac Hayes has rebuked Donald Trump for walking off and dancing to the late soul musician’s song after delivering a controversial speech at the National Rifle Association convention this weekend.

On Friday, the former US president delivered a speech at the gun association’s annual convention in Houston, just 280 miles east of the site of the school shooting in Uvalde that left 21 people dead on Tuesday.

Following his remarks, which included suggestions to arm teachers and put up metal fencing around schools’ perimeter, the one-time commander in chief began to make his way off stage while dancing to the 1966 song “Hold On, I’m Comin’”.

Though made popular by the American R&B duo Sam and Dave, the song itself was written by the song writing team of Hayes and his colleague David Porter.

“The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of “Hold on I’m coming’” by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekends @NRA convention,” the family posted on Twitter through the deceased songwriter’s blue-check verified account. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.”

Read more:

Family of soul musician Isaac Hayes calls out Trump for using song during NRA speech

Texas Rep Dan Crenshaw grilled over rejection of red flag laws, gun restrictions after Uvalde

Sunday 29 May 2022 20:00 , John Bowden

A Texas lawmaker was pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash over why he was rejecting out of hand provisions that many experts agree would have stopped or at least had a chance of preventing the horrific massacre in Uvalde, Texas last week.

Dan Crenshaw, a conservative Republican known for his public sparring with far-right members of his own party like Marjorie Taylor Greene, joined CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday for an interview with Ms Bash, who spoke live from the scene of the shooting in Mr Crenshaw’s home state that last weekend resulted in the deaths of nearly 20 young children.

In the interview, Mr Crenshaw roundly rejected a number of suggestions that have popped up in resposne to the Uvalde shooting, such as raising the age requirement for ownership of an AR-15 or the imposition of so-called “red flag laws”.

“You know, what happens then when we see a 22-year-old commit an atrocity? Are we going to raise it again? And are we going to raise it again? And at a certain point we have to ask ourselves where a limiting principle is,” he told CNN. The vast majority of school shootings are committed by persons under the age of 21.”

Read more:

Texas Rep Dan Crenshaw grilled over rejection of gun restrictions after Uvalde

Anonymous donor covers all the funeral expenses for the Uvalde shooting victims

Sunday 29 May 2022 19:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The funeral costs for all the victims who died during a school shooting in Uvalde this week will be covered by an anonymous donor.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed during a press conference on Friday that an unnamed person had come forward and contributed $175,000 (£138,568) to go towards the funerals of the 19 children and two teachers who were killed on Tuesday after a teenage gunman opened fire on a fourth grade class at Robb Elementary School.

“We appreciate that anonymous donor for his generosity, and we will ensure that those resources get into the right hands,” the governor said during the Friday briefing.

Gov Abbott also made efforts to reassure the family members, surviving students and anyone who was impacted by the attack at the elementary school, now the site of one of the deadliest school shootings since the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, that there would be mental health services made available to them, free of charge.

Read more:

Anonymous donor covers all the funeral expenses for the Uvalde shooting victims

Uvalde’s state senator Roland Gutierrez condemns handling of school shooting: ‘Everybody failed here’

Sunday 29 May 2022 19:05 , Andrew Naughtie

Roland Gutierrez, the Texas state senator who represents the city of Uvalde, has said that while there were clearly major failures in the law enforcement response to this week’s school shooting, the blame for what happened is shared far more widely.

Mr Gutierrez, a Democrat, was speaking to Dana Bash, host of CNN’s “State of the Union”, on Sunday.

“I had a long talk with Colonel McCraw yesterday,” said the senator, referring to the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. “He’s devastated… he’s acknowledged that there were errors here. What I’ve suggested is that it’s not fair to put it on the local ISD cop.

At the end of the day, everybody failed here. We failed these children. We even failed them in the Texas legislature.”

Read more:

Uvalde’s state senator says ‘Everybody failed’ massacred schoolchildren