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The Texas Robb Elementary school shooting has left a void in the hearts of several parents after a teenage gunman killed their kids. At least 19 kids and two adults, including a teacher, were among those who died on Tuesday.
As chaos ensued, loved ones of students who hadn’t yet been accounted for took to social media with pleas for help locating them. But the search only grew excruciating as moments passed.
Sue Rankin, blood-driving coordinator at Uvalde, Texas, in her statement to a news agency, said that parents who were still searching for their kids were asked to submit DNA samples to identify the dead and the injured who were unable to identify themselves to hospital staff,
Missing 10-year-old girls' lives cut short in Texas
Two of the students who went missing hours after the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas were among the 22 people who were killed, the families say.
A 69-year-old air conditioning repairman, Adolfo Cruz, expressed his grief over losing his 10-year-old great-granddaughter Elijah Cruz Torres, who was reported missing. However, the family soon received confirmation that Torres was one of the casualties in the shooting.
Before finding out that Torres did not make it, Cruz waited with bated breath for an update. "I hope she is alive," he had said.
Reportedly, Elijah Cruz Torres was not very keen on attending school on Tuesday, but her family told her she had to.
Another 10-year-old girl, Annabelle Guadalupe, met with a similar fate.
Jesse Rodriguez, Guadalpe's mother, was quoted as saying in a report,
"I was working, and I got info that my daughter was at the school where they were shooting, and I waited for more details. Now I’ve come back looking for my daughter and I can’t find her now."
Rodriguez later found out that his daughter was among those killed.
The Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, located across the street from the Texas school, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening that it would be assisting families by offering free funeral services.
Sunny Texas school turns dark within hours
Salvador Ramos, an 18-year-old, became the cause of one of America's deadliest mass shootings since Sandy Hook Elementary.
Described as a loner and bullied over a speech impediment, Ramos shot his grandmother before hitting the road in a truck carrying guns and ammunition.
After driving recklessly across Uvalde, Ramos crashed into a ditch near Robb Elementary School. Seeing him crash, some bystanders approached the car to help him out, but he just started shooting at them.
A police officer who worked at the school and two officers from the Uvalde police department reportedly began firing at Ramos. However, they could not stop him and instead called for a backup.
Ramos then entered the Texas elementary school around 11:32 local time, where he went on a 45-minute rampage. It is believed that the accused purchased two semi-automatic rifles as soon as he turned 18.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez told a news agency that Ramos had forced his way into a fourth-grade classroom, where he opened fire. When the officials arrived, they found the victims' bodies in the room.
Some witnesses reported seeing children jumping out of nearby windows and running towards the nearby funeral home once the shooting began. Others, led by two teachers, ran from the building and hid behind trees at the back of the school.
One of the teachers, Eva Mireles, was shot and killed by the gunman while trying to protect her students.
As police arrived at the Texas school, Ramos, clad in body armor, created a fortress around him in the classroom to defend himself against law enforcement personnel. Officials also found seven 30-round magazines belonging to Ramos at Texas Robb Elementary School.
The deadly Texas school massacre only ended after a border patrol officer breached the classroom and shot Ramos in the head.
