Texas School Shooting: 19 Children And 2 Adults Killed.

The gunman stormed into a Texas elementary school Tuesday, killing at least 19 children and two adults, the nation's worst school shooting in nearly a decade. A number of people were injured, including children. Some are in critical condition.

According to Pete Arredondo, chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, who also spoke to reporters, the school's students are in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. Pupils in those grades would likely have ranged from 7 to 10.

After the attack, a visibly shaken US President Joe Biden urged Americans to stand up to the powerful gun lobby, which he blamed for blocking stricter "common-sense" laws on firearm safety.

Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff daily until sunset on Saturday in observance of the tragedy.

University Hospital in San Antonio said on Twitter that it had received 4 patients from the shooting in Uvalde, a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl are in critical condition.

Uvalde Memorial Hospital said 15 students were treated in its emergency room, with 2 transferred to San Antonio for further care, while a 3rd patient transfer was pending.

The hospital said that a 45-year-old victim grazed by a bullet was hospitalized at Uvalde Memorial.

The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center issued a public appeal for blood donations. They have already sent over 15 units of blood and are running out. There is currently a blood shortage at the local hospitals where the wounded are being treated, reported PTI. Emergency blood donation appointments are being held on Wednesday.

About the suspect

Governor Greg said that the suspect, identified as Salvador Ramos, was killed by police officers and that 2 officers were struck by gunfire. However, the governor said their injuries were not serious.

The 18-year-old also had shot his grandmother before fleeing from the scene. Crashing his getaway car and launching a bloody rampage at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, about 130 km west of San Antonio.

The motive was not immediately clear. Authorities said the gunman acted alone.

This was the school’s last week of classes before the summer break. Tuesday was awards day, according to the calendar, and pupils were invited to wear a nice outfit and fun shoes as part of a “footloose and fancy” theme. A Reuters report said that the students had visited the zoo and participated in a gifted-and-talented showcase, recent posts on the school’s Facebook page showed.

The school district said the elementary school, where the student mission statement is “Live. Learn. Love. Lead,” would remain closed for the final days of the school year.

America’s gun problem

The rampage was the latest in a series of mass school shootings that have periodically reignited a fierce debate between advocates of tighter gun controls and those who oppose any legislation that could compromise the US Constitutional right of Americans to bear arms.

Politicians react

Biden, addressing the nation after the tragedy, pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure and blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris said earlier that people usually declare in moments like this, “our hearts break — but our hearts keep getting broken … and our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families.”

Echoing Biden’s call, former President Barack Obama, who has called the day of the Sandy Hook shooting the darkest of his administration, said, “It’s long past time for action, any kind of action.”