UPDATED: A gunman shot and killed at least 19 students between grades two and four and two teachers at an elementary school mass shooting in Uvlade, Texas on Tuesday. .Governor Greg Abbott spoke to the media to confirm the shooting deaths and said the shooter was killed by police officers at Robb elementary school. Dozens more were injured in the shooting. .This marks the 27th school shooting in the United States in the first five months of 2022. .Media reports identified the shooter as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a student from a local high school. It has been reported Ramos killed his grandmother before he went to the elementary school and opened fire, according to TMZ. .ABC News correspondent Cecilia Vega shared a picture of Eva Mireles, a 4th grade teacher tragically killed in Tuesday's shooting. ."I am furious that these shooting (sic) continue, these children are innocent, rifles should not be easily available to all," Vega quoted Lydia Martinez Delgado, Mireles aunt, in the tweet. .Sgt. Erick Estrada of the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN's Anderson Cooper Ramos crashed his car near the school and, while law enforcement was in pursuit, managed to enter the school and went classroom to classroom shooting. .Ramos barricaded himself in a room before he was killed by responding police officers. Abbott said the shooter had a handgun and possibly a rifle. . Photo of weapons from Salvador Ramos Instagram accountPicture of weapons on Salvador Ramos (Texas elementary school shooter's) Instagram account. .After police determined it was safe to do so, parents were cleared to pick up students at the local civic centre at approximately 2 p.m. local time. Authorities were initially asking parents to stay away so students could be accounted for. .Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, located half an hour west of San Antonio, confirmed during a news conference the shooter was acting alone. It was reported two officers were injured in the incident. .President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting mid-flight on a return trip from Japan. ."His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House," said White House staff. He is expected to address the nation Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. EST. .Biden has ordered the American flag to be flown at half-staff at the White House and all public buildings, military and naval posts and stations, US embassies and other military facilities and stations abroad until sunset on Saturday. Chris Meagher, White House deputy press secretary included the statement from the president in a Twitter post. .Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he and his wife Heidi are "fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde." ."We are in close contact with local officials, but the precise details are still unfolding," Cruz said on Twitter. ."Thank you to heroic law enforcement and first responders for acting so swiftly.".California Gov. and Democrat Gavin Newsom, has called for tighter laws around gun safety and took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon to call for change. ."Fourteen children and a teacher dead," he said in the tweet. ."Another shooting. And the GOP won't do a damn thing about it." ."Who the hell are we if we cannot keep our kids safe. This is preventable. Our inaction is a choice." .Newsom called for "nationwide, comprehensive, commonsense gun safety NOW." .Authorities are expected to give another update later this evening, according to the New York Times. .According to the school district's calendar, Thursday was the last day of school ahead of the US Memorial Day long weekend. .More to come...
