“Evil swept across Uvalde yesterday.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference on Wednesday following a briefing he received in order to provide an update on the Texas response to the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, a small border town. He was joined by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
He outlined what little is known of the shooter, Salvadore Ramos, who was 18-years-old and had no known mental health history. The AR 15 he used was purchased legally. Prior to his attack on the school that killed 19 children and 2 teachers, he also shot and critically wounded his grandmother, with whom he lived. The gunman was shot and killed during his standoff with law enforcement.
About a half-hour before the school shooting, the shooter started sharing messages on Facebook. Governor Abbott said, “The first post was to the point of it, he said, ‘I’m going to shoot my grandmother.’ The second post, maybe less than 15 minutes before arriving at the school, was ‘I’m going to shoot an elementary school.’”
Governor Abbott lauded the efforts of law enforcement, and said, “Uvalde has been shaken to its core. Families are broken apart. Hearts are forever shattered. All Texans are grieving with the people of Uvalde and people are rightfully angry about what has happened.” He added, “What they need now more than ever is our love; what they need is uplifting from all of our fellow Texans and fellow Americans.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the Texas governor and other state officials as they respond in the aftermath of the mass shooting.
- For the families who lost loved ones due to the attack on the elementary school.
- For wisdom for members of the Senate as they consider legislation regarding gun control.
Sources: ABC News, The Texas Tribune, Fox News, Newsweek
