Yet another incident of gun violence has taken place in the United States. This time it takes place in the state of Texas or The Republican state of the US. Texas is one of the most important members of the gun lobby.
The gun lobby strongly advocates for the protection of the second amendment of the US constitution which provides for gun ownership rights for the American people.
Nineteen young children and two adults have died in the shooting that took place at a primary school in south Texas.
The gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School – which teaches children aged seven to 10 – in the city of Uvalde before he was killed by law enforcement.
The 18-year-old suspect had a handgun which he used, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines, investigators said in a report.
The teenager is suspected of having shot his grandmother before the rampage in the school. Local media reports suggest that he may have been a high school student in the area.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo said the shooting began at 11:32 local time on Tuesday, and that investigators believe the attacker “did act alone during this heinous crime”.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said that the shooter, whom he named as Salvador Ramos, abandoned a vehicle before entering the school to “horrifically, incomprehensibly” open fire.
An Uvalde school district police officer, who worked at the school, saw Ramos emerge from the vehicle carrying a rifle and wearing body armour, according to Erick Estrada from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The officer “engaged” the suspect but was unable to stop him, Mr Estrada said. Two more officers from Uvalde Police Department also attempted to stop Ramos but were unable to do so, and called for back-up.
Several of the children who died have been identified. Family members confirmed the deaths of 10-year-olds Xavier Lopez and Amerie Jo Garza in statements on Tuesday night.
The two adults who died were both teachers – namely Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles.
As per the school district’s website, Mrs Garcia is a mother-of-four children and had been a teacher for over 23 years. The same website says that Ms Mireles had been a teacher for around 17 years, and has a daughter in college.
The Associated Press news agency reported that a US Border Patrol official who was nearby when the shooting began rushed into the school and shot and killed the gunman, who was behind a barricade.
Border Patrol is a federal agency that guards US ports of entry. Uvalde, which is fewer than 80 miles from the border with Mexico, is home to a Border Patrol station.
Two border agents were reportedly shot in an exchange with the gunman. One agent was shot in the head, but as per latest statement given by officials both are in stable condition in the hospital.
As per a report by CBS News, the attacker was wearing body armour while carrying out the attack. Another 18-year-old who is suspected of having attacked a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, on 14 May was also wearing body armour and carrying a semi-automatic rifle – both of which are commercially and readily available in the US.
A 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl were in a critical condition at a hospital in San Antonio.
The occurrence of this event in Texas might offer an opening for legislation on gun procurement in the US. Gun control legislation is probably the most politically polarised issues in the US.
This problem is one which is unique to the US, where gun related deaths have overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of death of young children and teenagers.
“Why do we keep letting this happen?” asked President Biden. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage?”
It remains to be seen what actually will be the result of this incident. Whether will it be just another incident in the long list of gun violence incidents registered in the country or whether this incident can serve as the turning point for gun control legislation in the US.
Only time shall tell.
Read More : 18 Students Killed In Texas Elementary School Shooting
