Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says 14 students and a teacher have died, and more than a dozen other children have been taken to hospital after a shooting at a Texas elementary school in Uvalde. west of San Antonio.
Key points:
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirms that 14 students and a teacher have been killed
- At least 12 children have been taken by ambulance or bus to a local hospital
- All schools in the district are closed due to gunfire in the area
Abbott said the 18-year-old gunman was dead.
“He shot and killed, horribly, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher,” the governor said.
The gunman was a resident of the community and entered the school with a gun, and possibly a rifle, and opened fire, Abbott said.
He said the shooter was probably killed by responding officers, but that the facts were still being investigated.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital previously said 13 children were taken by ambulance or bus to the facility and another hospital reported that a 66-year-old woman was in critical condition.
It was not immediately known how many people, in addition to the dead, were injured in the shooting
The nature and severity of the injuries were not immediately known, but the shooter was reportedly detained shortly after 1 p.m. (local time), the UValde police department said.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District said an active shooter was reported at Robb Elementary School, which has an enrollment of just under 600 students.
Earlier, the district had said that all schools in the district were closed due to gunfire in the area.
A UValde police department official said the scene was still active and no other information was available immediately.
School and city officials did not immediately return messages asking for comments.
The district said the city’s civic center was used as a reunification center.
AP
Posted 30 minutes ago, 30 minutes ago, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 8:49 PM, last updated 2 minutes ago, 2 minutes ago, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 9:17 PM