All the Uvalde Victims Were in One 4th-Grade Classroom

Lt. Chris Olivarez shares what law enforcement knows thus far
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted May 25, 2022 8:01 AM CDT
Uvalde Victims Were All in Same 4th-Grade Classroom
People react outside the Civic Center following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Tuesday, May 24, 2022.   (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

More details of how the Uvalde mass shooting took place and the law enforcement response to it are emerging Wednesday, with a rep for the Texas Department for Public Safety telling CNN that all those killed were in the same 4th-grade classroom. "Just goes to show you the complete evil from this shooter," said Lt. Chris Olivarez. In an interview with the Today Show, Olivarez said that after shooting his grandmother, the shooter fled in a vehicle. The first 911 calls described a crashed vehicle and an armed individual entering Robb Elementary School. "At that point we had local law enforcement, school officers, as well as state troopers who were first on scene ... they tried to make entry into the building, they were met with gunfire by the shooter. Some of those officers were shot."

At that point, law enforcement started breaking windows to get students and teachers out of the building. "What we do know at that point the shooter was able to make entry into a classroom, barricaded himself inside that classroom, and just began shooting numerous children and teachers who were in that classroom." A tactical team then arrived and made forcible entry into the classroom. They were met with gunfire and shot and killed the shooter.

As for whether the school was intentionally targeted, Olivarez said, "We're trying to determine that, that's why we're working with FBI right now to kind of look back to see if there were any indicators, any red flags, looking at social media. What we know about the shooter is that he is a resident here in Uvalde, he did attend one of the local high schools, he lived with his grandparents, was unemployed, no friends, no girlfriend that we can identify at this time, no criminal history, no gang affiliation as well." The grandmother was shot but survived, Olivarez confirmed. (More Uvalde mass shooting stories.)

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