The gunman who carried out Tuesday’s mass school shooting in Texas barricaded himself inside one an elementary school classroom, officials have said, adding that all of the victims were found in that room.
Speaking to CNN this morning, Lt. Chris Olivarez from the Texas Department of Public Safety said that officers responding to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday morning were “at a point of disadvantage,” because the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, had already hunkered down inside the classroom.
Olivarez said the shooter only entered the one classroom on Tuesday.
Initially, a lack of “sufficient man power” at the scene prevented police from engaging the shooter, Olivarez explained to CNN.
So, instead, in order to save as many lives as possible, officers started breaking classroom windows to evacuate students and their teachers.
Later, when officers did exchange gunfire with the shooter, one officer was struck by a bullet, sustaining a non life threatening wound. Eventually, police were able to shoot and kill the gunman.
Olivarez told CNN all of the victims from Tuesday’s shooting — those dead and injured — were in the same classroom.
Olivarez said the shooter entered the classroom at around 11:30 a.m., “locked the door, and just started shooting children and the two teachers” inside.
“Just goes to show you the complete evil from this shooter,” Olivarez said.
Investigators have not discussed a motive for Tuesday’s shooting.
Uvalde is a small city about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
Authorities have said that, prior to traveling to the school, the shooter shot his grandmother, who has so far survived her injuries.
He crashed his car in a ditch near the school. He was engaged by law enforcement outside the school, but was still able to enter the building.
Police said at a Tuesday press conference they believe the shooter acted alone.
The children killed were in the second, third, and fourth grades, police confirmed. Fourth grade teacher Eva Mireles, 44, has been identified by family as one of Tuesday’s victims.
