2022 Robb Elementary School Shooting

The Uvalde school shooting occurred on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and remains one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Date: May 24, 2022

Location: Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas

Fatalities: 21 total (19 children and 2 teachers)

Injured: 17 others injured (including children and adults)

Shooter: Salvador Ramos, 18

Duration

Approximately 77 minutes from when the shooter entered the school until he was killed

Weapon Used: Daniel Defense DDM4 V7, an AR-15-style rifle

Timeline of Events

11:27 a.m. – Ramos crashes his grandmother's truck into a ditch near Robb Elementary after shooting her in the face at home (she survived and called 911).

11:28 a.m. – Ramos begins firing at bystanders outside the school.

11:33 a.m. – Ramos enters the school through an unlocked back door and begins shooting in two adjoining fourth-grade classrooms: Room 111 and Room 112.

12:21 p.m. – More gunshots are heard.

12:50 p.m. – A Border Patrol tactical unit breaches the classroom and kills Ramos.

Shooter's Background

Former student of Uvalde High School.

Known to have a troubled past; reports of being bullied and family issues.

Worked at Wendy’s part-time.

Legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles just days after his 18th birthday.

Exhibited warning signs online—posted threats and photos of weapons on social media.

First Responder Response & Law Enforcement Failures

The law enforcement response was heavily criticized for being delayed and disorganized:

Over 376 law enforcement officers responded from local, state, and federal agencies.

Officers waited in the hallway for over an hour before engaging the shooter.

No attempts were made to enter the classroom until 77 minutes after Ramos had begun his rampage.

Children inside the classroom called 911 multiple times, pleading for help.

Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was the incident commander but failed to treat it as an active shooter situation—believing it had become a “barricaded suspect” case.

A Texas House report later concluded that “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” contributed to the tragic outcome.

Uvalde police and school officials came under intense scrutiny for their lack of transparency and failure to act with urgency.

Aftermath and Investigations

Texas DPS and DOJ launched investigations into the police response.

The tragedy reignited national debates about gun control, school safety, and police accountability.

Robb Elementary School was permanently closed and will be demolished.

Children

All of the children were in 4th Grade, aged 9–11

Amerie Jo Garza, 10 – Loved drawing, swimming, and being with her family.

Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10 – Ambitious and smart; wanted to become a marine biologist.

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10 – Maite’s best friend and cousin.

Xavier Lopez, 10 – A cheerful boy who loved dancing and making TikToks.

Tess Marie Mata, 10 – Loved Ariana Grande and TikTok.

Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia, 9 – Dreamed of being a cheerleader; loved church.

Nevaeh Bravo, 10 – Her name is "Heaven" spelled backward; she was sweet and shy.

Jacklyn “Jackie” Cazares, 9 – Strong-willed and compassionate.

Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10 – Jackie’s cousin; funny and playful.

Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10 – Loved TikTok and dancing.

Rojelio Torres, 10 – Bright and kind; loved being with his family.

Alithia Ramirez, 10 – Talented artist, loved drawing.

Layla Salazar, 11 – Won races at field day; danced to TikTok songs.

Miranda Mathis, 11 – Sweet, caring, always smiling.

Uziyah Garcia, 10 – The “sweetest little boy”; loved video games.

Jose Flores Jr., 10 – Helped around the house and was a role model to siblings.

Alexandria “Lexi” Aniyah Rubio, 10 – Honor roll student, loved softball and basketball.

Makenna Lee Elrod, 10 – Warmhearted; loved animals and her family.

Eliana “Ellie” Cruz Torres, 10 – Excited for softball; deeply loved by her family.

Teachers

Eva Mireles, 44 – A teacher for 17 years; loved CrossFit and her students dearly.

Irma Garcia, 48 – Taught for 23 years. Died protecting her students. Her husband, Joe Garcia, died of a heart attack two days later—widely seen as dying of a broken heart.