When Salvador Ramos reached Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, he had already shot someone, according to police.
Authorities said that in addition to the 19 children and one adult shot to death there, the 18-year-old had shot and wounded his grandmother, according to KENS-TV in San Antonio.
They said Ramos fled that scene and eventually crashed his car at the elementary school, The Associated Press reported.
While some reports indicated the grandmother had died, others, including The Texas Tribune, said that she was “still holding on” Tuesday evening after being airlifted to San Antonio.
Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez said police were notified Tuesday that a vehicle had crashed near the school and that a man with a gun was near the school.
DPS spokesman Erick Estrada said Ramos entered the school after an encounter with police.
“The suspect did crash near a ditch nearby the school,” Estrada said. “That’s where he exited his vehicle with what I believe was a rifle, and that’s when he attempted to enter the school where he was engaged by law enforcement,” he said.
“Unfortunately, he was able to enter the premises and then from there that’s when he entered several classrooms and started shooting his firearm,” he said.
Olivarez said Ramos appeared to fire indiscriminately.
“The suspect made entry into the school and as soon as he made entry into the school he started shooting children, teachers, whoever’s in his way. He was shooting everybody,” the officer said.
According to KENS, Ramos was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent who happened to be nearby when the shooting started at the school.
The AP reported the agent killed Ramos while Ramos was behind a barricade, but was wounded himself.
According to KPRC-TV, citing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives data, Ramos bought two rifles this month — one on May 17 and one on May 20.
One rifle was found in the truck Ramos crashed on his way to the school.
Officials said that on May 18, Ramos bought 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition and that when the shooting stopped Tuesday, police found seven 30-round magazines of ammunition at the school.
The gunman had been a student at Uvalde High School.
He had hinted on social media that an attack could be coming, according to Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he had been briefed by state police, the AP reported.
Gutierrez said Ramos “suggested the kids should watch out” and that he had bought two “assault weapons” after turning 18.
A former classmate said Ramos texted him photos of a gun and a bag of ammunition, CNN reported.
“He would message me here and there, and four days ago he sent me a picture of the AR he was using … and a backpack full of 5.56 rounds, probably like seven mags,” the friend said.
“I was like, ‘Bro, why do you have this?’ and he was like, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” the friend said. “He proceeded to text me, ‘I look very different now. You wouldn’t recognize me.’”
