Uvalde, Texas: chronology of a massacre

Just a few days after the Buffalo massacre, the world is once again in shock because of yet another mass shooting in the United States. This time, the victims are mostly children.

Uvalde, an almost anonymous town of just over 15,000 people in Texas, has been the scene of a shooting that has left a dramatic toll: 19 children and two teachers dead in what is the second-worst school shooting in the last 10 years.

Salvador Ramos, the man responsible for the massacre, stormed Robb Primary School at 11.30 am, with the school in full capacity, shooting anyone who crossed his path.

Obviously, the vast majority of those he came across were children. The massacre only stopped when a policeman managed to shoot the 18-year-old, a local boy from Uvalde, and a senior at the local high school.

Salvador Ramos chose the last day of the school year to carry out a killing that, according to the authorities, he did alone. He did it while parents and children were at the school, celebrating the end of the school year.

The perpetrator, according to US media reports, had bought two assault rifles on his 18th birthday on 16 May. Nine days later, he stormed his old school to carry out the killing.

CNN believes the motive behind the massacre may be the bullying he suffered when he was a student at Robb Elementary School.

According to CNN, the young man stammered and lisped, and he was teased about his family's difficult financial situation.

Not only did Ramos bring tragedy to the school that he attended, but he also brought terror and violence to the family home where he lived with his grandparents.

According to Christopher Olivarez, a sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety, "the suspect had a domestic dispute with his grandmother and shot her in the head." She was taken to the hospital alive and doctors are monitoring her condition.

After shooting his 66-year-old grandmother, he took the family van and drove to the school, where, as soon as he arrived, the shooting started.

The debate on gun control in the United States is back on the table. Even more so after a report by the FBI that shows a significant increase in shootings in the country.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports 61 shootings in 2021, compared to 40 the previous year. So far this year, 211 shootings have been recorded.

US President Joe Biden was quick to appear before the media, pointing the finger at Congress for inaction in the face of an all-too-frequent situation. "When are we going to confront the gun lobby," the US president asked.

However, it was an emotional and angry Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr who stole the media spotlight after Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals.

He made a passionate plea to the senators who were delaying a new bill on background checks for gun purchases, begging them to take action and accusing them of delaying as a tactic to maintain power.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic also spoke about the massacre after the game. "I don't think there can be anything worse. It's a disaster. I don't think this should happen anywhere," he said, leaving the game aside.