The behavior of primary school shooter Salvador Ramos has been increasingly altered over the years, friends say, and he once cut his face with knives “for fun.”
The 18-year-old was killed in a shootout Tuesday morning after killing 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
But former friend Santos Valdez Jr., 18, told The Washington Post that Ramos’ behavior had begun to deteriorate some time ago. He said the couple had been friends since elementary school and had enjoyed playing video games together, including shooting games like Call of Duty and Fortnite, and often played basketball at a local park.
Salvador Ramos, 18, shot his grandmother before killing at least 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Texas Department of Public Safety
But Valdez said he was horrified when Ramos once showed up at the park with numerous cuts to his face, initially alleging that the cuts had been caused by a cat scratching him. “Then he told me the truth,” Valdez said. “That he had cut his face with knives over and over and over again. I said, ‘You’re crazy, brother, why would you do that?'” Ramos told him he did it “for fun.” said the newspaper.
The disturbing story comes after a portrait began to portray an image of an isolated and increasingly angry teenager who had been severely harassed and had a fractured family life.
Valdez told The Washington Post that Ramos and another friend occasionally drove through their neighborhood at night to shoot random people with a BB pistol and eggs from strangers’ cars.
Several stories have emerged suggesting that Ramos had been heavily harassed as a child. He had a speech impediment that meant he was cushioning and stuttering, and is said to have often been the subject of homophobic insults. Others claimed he had been targeted for being poor, while a former schoolmate told the New York Times that he was making fun of his clothes.
Stephen Garcia, who said he was Ramos’ best friend in eighth grade, told The Washington Post, “He would be very harassed, as a lot of people do.” After Garcia’s family moved to another area, he said he and Ramos tried to keep in touch but that Ramos “started to be a different person.” And he added, “It’s getting worse, and I don’t even know it.”
Even his appearance changed, Garcia said. Ramos grew his hair and started wearing black clothes and thick military-style boots, then started cutting school.
The newspaper also said Ramos had a troubled family life and had moved into his grandmother’s home after a break-up with his mother.
A neighbor claimed Ramos started his killing by shooting his grandmother because he was angry at not graduating this week. The rest of his classmates must attend the graduation ceremony on Friday (May 27).
Ramos had recently posted photos online of weapons he had bought shortly after his 18th birthday and appeared to suggest he was planning an attack. He told an Instagram user, who did not know Ramos and did not live in Texas, that he had “a little secret” that he thought “air”.