Texas school shooting leaves at least 21 dead
At least 19 students and three adults were killed and several others injured in a shooting at a Texas high school. Joe Biden expressed deep sorrow over the incident and ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff for three days.
On Tuesday, May 24, an 18-year-old man killed and injured several people in a school shooting in the state of Texas. The school is located in the town of Uvalde, 135 kilometers west of San Antonio.
The German news agency reported on Wednesday morning, citing local authorities, that 19 victims of the incident were young school children and three adults, and that the condition of some of the injured was not satisfactory.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott told reporters that the shooter was killed and was likely shot by police.
He added that the attacker attacked the elementary school with a pistol and a rifle and started shooting. Based on initial investigations, the 18-year-old carried out the massacre alone, and the investigation into his possible motive is ongoing.
CNN reported that the attacker, a resident of the town of Uvalde, first killed his grandmother and then attacked the school. This news has not yet been officially confirmed.
Joe Biden criticizes the gun lobby in America
US President Joe Biden, who learned of the massacre while returning from a five-day trip to Asia, ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff until Saturday as a sign of mourning.
After entering the White House, Biden strongly criticized the laws governing the purchase and possession of guns in the United States, emphasizing that American citizens must stand up to the gun lobby, which is blocking stricter laws on gun ownership.
The US President emphasized that although such actions cannot be prevented by tightening laws alone, it is completely wrong for an 18-year-old to be able to buy two guns from a store, and strict laws can play an important role.
Tuesday's incident was the deadliest school shooting in Texas, but similar incidents have occurred in other US states.
In December 2012, a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, killing 20 students and six adults.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released statistics on shootings of citizens in public places in 2021 on Monday, according to which 61 shooting incidents occurred in various states last year.
Shootings against citizens increased by 50% in 2021 compared to the previous year, killing 103 people and injuring 140.
Source: DW
