May 26 Texas shooting news

Our live coverage of the mass shooting in Texas has moved here.

Local law enforcement authorities on Thursday provided a more detailed timeline for Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead. But many questions remain unanswered.

Victor Escalon, South Texas regional director for the Department of Public Safety, told reporters Thursday that they are "still grabbing a lot of information" regarding the shooting.

"We're going to find out. With all the different agencies that are involved, we're working every angle that's available. We won't stop until we get all the answers that we possibly can," he said during a news conference.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Uvalde on Sunday to meet with families who lost loved ones and speak to community members and religious leaders.

If you're just catching up on the latest developments, here are key things to know:

What authorities revealed today about the timeline of events inside and outside the school:

• Escalon said that the suspect, Salvador Ramos, shot his grandmother and then wrecked his truck in a ditch outside the school at 11:28 a.m. local time Tuesday. He exited the truck with a rifle and shot at two people across the street, Escalon said.
• The gunman then approached the school and shot at the building multiple times and walked in through an apparently unlocked door at 11:40 a.m. local time, according to Escalon.
• That door is normally locked, "unless you are leaving to go home on the school bus," former principal Ross McGlothlin told CNN's Newsroom on Thursday.
• Escalon said the gunman was not confronted by a school resource officer outside the school. The same law enforcement agency previously said an officer had "engaged" him. “He walked in unobstructed initially,” Escalon said. According to the current information available, Escalon said there was not an armed officer readily available.
• Inside, the suspect walked into a classroom and fired more than 25 times, Escalon said. The majority of the gunfire was in the beginning of the attack, he added.
• Officers arrived at the school at 11:44 a.m. local time, but when they went to confront the gunman, they received fire and took cover, Escalon said. They called for more resources and personnel, evacuated students and teachers in other parts of the school, and at some point entered "negotiations" with the suspect, he said.
• A US Border Patrol tactical team came to the classroom, forced entry and fatally shot the suspect after about an hour, he said.
• Thursday's news conference underscored the confusion and disorganization of the police response and failed to answer questions as to how the gunman was able to remain inside the classroom for such a long time.
• CNN reported Thursday that the Uvalde school district, where the shooting occurred, had a safety plan that included its own police force, social media monitoring and a threat reporting system to “provide a safe and secure environment” for students. The two-page document on the district's website lists 21 different measures that it says it has undertaken for the safety of the school community, ranging from an app for reporting bullying to physical security measures, like fencing and a buzz-in door system. It’s not clear to what degree the plan was developed with active shooters in mind.

Officials defend response:

• Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez issued a statement Thursday defending his officers' response to the shooting. Two responding officers were shot by the suspect but are expected to survive. "It is important for our community to know that our officers responded within minutes" alongside school resource officers, he said.
• The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), meanwhile, said officers who responded to the shooting saved lives, despite waiting before physically confronting the suspect who was holed up inside a classroom. A spokesperson for the agency said that officers did not have enough information on the exact location of the shooter to do an immediate takedown.

Details about the identified victims:

• Makenna Lee Elrod, 10, loved to play softball, do gymnastics and spend time with her family. “Her smile would light up a room,” Allison McCullough, Makenna’s aunt, told ABC News. McCullough described her niece as a natural leader who loved school and was “a light to all who knew her.”
• Jayce Luevanos, 10, has been identified as one of the victims by CNN through a GoFundMe site set up to raise funds for funeral expenses and family needs. Jayce's grandfather, Carmelo Quiroz, told USA Today, the Jayce and his mother lived with him. He said the 10-year-old was happy and loved. "He was our baby," Quiroz said.
• Alithia Ramirez, 10, was in fourth grade and loved to draw, her father, Ryan Ramirez, told CNN affiliate KSAT. He said she wanted to be an artist.
• Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10, enjoyed dancing and making TikTok videos, her mother Veronica Luevanos told CNN network partner, Univision. Jailah did not want to go to school Tuesday morning and asked to stay home, but Luevanos said she told her no.
• Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares and Annabell Guadalupe Rodríguez, both 10, were cousins, classmates and friends. Jacklyn's father Jacinto Cazares told reporters that she "was full of love and full of life. She would do anything for anybody. And to me, she's a little firecracker, man."
• Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo, 10, put a smile on everyone’s face, her cousin, Austin Ayala, told the Washington Post, adding that her family is devastated.
• Lexi Rubio, 10, has been identified by her parents as one of the victims. Felix and Kimberly Rubio celebrated their daughter making the All-A honor roll and getting a good citizen award at Robb Elementary on Tuesday, shortly before the shooting. In a text message to CNN, Felix and Kimberly Rubio said, “She was kind, sweet, and appreciated life. She was going to be an all-star in softball and had a bright future whether it’s sports or academic. Please let the world know we miss our baby.”
• Jose Flores Jr., 10, was one of the victims, his father Jose Flores Sr. told CNN. Flores said his son was in the fourth grade and loved baseball and video games. “He was always full of energy,” Flores said. “Ready to play till the night.” Flores also described his son as an amazing kid and big brother to his two siblings. 
• Uziyah Garcia, 10, has been identified as one of the victims, his family confirmed to CNN. He was in fourth grade, his aunt Nikki Cross told CNN. His uncle, Mitch Renfro, described Uziyah as a “great kid. Full of life. Loved anything with wheels, and video games.” He leaves behind two sisters. 
• Eva Mireles, a fourth-grade teacher, was among those killed, her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, told CNN. She had been an educator for 17 years and in her off time enjoyed running, hiking, biking and spending time with her family, according to her profile on the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District website.
• Irma Garcia, a fourth-grade teacher, has been identified as a victim and confirmed through a GoFundMe page. A wife and mother to four children, she was "Sweet, kind, loving. Fun with the greatest personality," the page said, adding, "She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom. She was a hero."
• Xavier Lopez, 10, has been identified as one of the victims, his mother Felicha Martinez confirmed to the Washington Post. “He was funny, never serious and his smile,” Martinez told the paper. 
• Amerie Jo Garza, 10, was identified by her father as one of the children killed. Angel Garza posted to Facebook early Wednesday: "My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie Jo. Watch over your baby brother for me," said the father.
• Eliana "Ellie" Garcia, 9, was among those killed, her family told KHOU. Rogelio Lugo and Nelda Lugo, Eliana’s grandparents, told the Los Angeles Times she loved the movie “Encanto,” cheerleading and basketball, and dreamed of becoming a teacher.
• Eliahana “Elijah” Cruz Torres, 10, has been identified as one of the victims, her aunt Leandra Vera told CNN. “Our baby gained her wings,” Vera said.
• Tess Marie Mata, 10, has been identified as one of the victims, her sister told the Washington Post. The fourth-grader loved TikTok dances, Ariana Grande and the Houston Astros, and was saving money so that the whole family could go to Disney World, her sister said.
• All the fatalities and injuries took place inside one classroom at Robb Elementary, officials said. The conditions of the six hospitalized victims of the shooting have remained the same, according to hospital officials Thursday.
• The two funeral homes in Uvalde will cover the cost of funerals for those who were killed Tuesday. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) has opened a memorial fund to accept donations for those affected by the shooting.

Blocked bill in Washington:

• Meanwhile in the nation's capital, Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill designed to combat domestic terrorism from advancing in a key vote. The vote comes as lawmakers are under intense pressure to take action in the wake of multiple recent episodes of horrific gun violence.
• The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House last week following a tragic mass shooting at a supermarket in a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. But Republicans have pushed back against the measure put forward by Democrats, describing it as partisan and unnecessary. At least 10 Senate Republicans would have needed to vote with Democrats to overcome the 60-vote threshold imposed by the filibuster.
• The failure of the domestic terrorism bill in the Senate underscores yet again how challenging it is for lawmakers to enact any kind of major policy change in the wake of mass shootings amid a highly polarized political environment and widespread GOP opposition to stricter gun controls.
• Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Senate to take up the House-passed bill, but acknowledged ahead of the vote that it was unlikely to advance amid GOP opposition. He indicated Democrats are willing to give some time and space for efforts to reach some kind of bipartisan compromise on gun legislation though he noted the odds are long. He also made clear that these efforts will not be given an unlimited amount of time to play out, and that if they fail the Senate will move forward with votes on gun safety legislation.
• On the Republican side, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN he met this morning with GOP Texas Sen. John Cornyn after Cornyn returned from Texas, and encouraged the senator to begin discussions with Democrats to see if they can find a middle ground on some legislation to respond to the shooting in Texas.

Read more about what we know — and don't know — about the shooting here.

CNN's Eric Levenson, Holly Yan, Joe Sutton, Clare Foran and Ted Barrett contributed reporting to this post.

Alithia Ramirez, 10, has been identified as one of the victims killed in the Robb Elementary shooting.

Her father, Ryan Ramirez, confirmed the information to CNN affiliate KSAT. Alithia was in fourth grade, Ramirez said, and loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.

On Wednesday morning, Ryan posted to Facebook a photo of Alithia with angel wings.

Alithia’s grandmother, Rosa Maria Ramirez, told ABC News “she was a very talented little girl," adding that “she loved to draw, she was real sweet."

Jayce Luevanos has been identified as one of the victims in the Uvalde, Texas, shooting. CNN confirmed the information through a GoFundMe site set up to raise funds for funeral expenses and family needs.

"We are all deeply saddened by the news we received from the Robb School shooting. It breaks my heart having to create a fundraiser for such a need but Jayce’s parents, Christina and Jose Luevanos need as much help as possible in these terrible times," Jesus Cardona, who organized the verified GoFundMe campaign, said on the site. 

Jayce's grandfather, Carmelo Quiroz, told USA Today that the 10-year-old and his mother lived with him. He said Jayce was happy and loved. "He was our baby," Quiroz said. 

Veronica Luevanos, Jayce's aunt and mother of shooting victim Jailah Nicole Silguero, posted a picture Wednesday on Facebook of her daughter and Jayce and wrote: "My baby you didn't deserve this neither did your classmates n cousin Jayce."

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays – who are currently playing a game against each other – each posted tweets saying that the two clubs are collaborating and will use their channels “to offer facts about the impacts of gun violence" instead of focusing on game coverage.

“The devastating events that took place in Uvalde, Buffalo and countless other communities across our nation are tragedies that are intolerable,” both teams said in tweets.

Additionally, the Rays said the organization “has made a $50,000 commitment to Everytown for Gun Safety’s Support Fund.”

See some of their tweets:

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), facing questions about how officers dealt with the gunman who killed 21 people at a school in Uvalde, Texas, Tuesday, says those officers saved lives, despite waiting before physically confronting the suspect who was holed up inside a classroom.

“At that point, they had the suspect contained inside the classroom,” DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez told CNN Thursday. “If those officers weren't there, if they did not maintain their presence, there is a good chance that gunman could have made it to other classrooms and commit more killings.” 

Olivarez said that officers did not have enough information on the exact location of the shooter to do an immediate takedown.

“They do not know where the gunman is. They are hearing gunshots, they are receiving gunshots,” said Olivarez. “At that point, if they proceeded any further not knowing where this suspect was at, they could have been shot. They could have been killed, and at that point, that gunman would have had the opportunity to kill other people inside that school.” 

Olivarez declined to explain the discrepancy between initial claims that a school resource officer “engaged” the gunman outside the school and Thursday’s statement saying Ramos was not confronted before entering the school.

"We’re conducting those investigations right now, speaking to witnesses, and those officers obviously are key to this investigation,” he told CNN.

The husband of Irma Garcia, one of the Robb Elementary teachers who was killed in Tuesday’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has died, according to a GoFundMe post and a Twitter post from Garcia’s nephew.

On the school’s website, Irma Garcia's bio states that she and her husband had four children.

Joe Garcia “has tragically passed away this morning(5/26/2022) as a result of a medical emergency. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear,” the GoFundMe post from Irma Garcia’s cousin said.  

Irma Garcia’s nephew also acknowledged the death of his aunt's husband.

“Lord god please on our family, my tias husband passed away this morning due to a heart attack at home he’s with his wife now, these two will make anyone feel loved no matter what they have the purest hearts ever I love you sm tia and tio please be with me every step of the way,” the tweet said. 

CNN has reached out to the Garcia family for additional comment. 

Makenna Lee Elrod, 10, has been identified as one of the victims in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, April Elrod, Makenna’s mother, confirmed to CNN.

Allison McCullough, Makenna’s aunt, also confirmed the information to ABC News. 

She added that Makenna loved to play softball, do gymnastics and spend time with her family. She was a natural leader and loved school. McCullough described her niece as “a light to all who knew her.”

“She loved her family and friends so much,” McCullough added.

Derek Gonzales was about to go for lunch with his colleague Julio Luna when he heard gunshots on Tuesday. So he rushed to Robb Elementary School from his nearby shop with Luna.

What they saw upon arrival was a chaotic scene.

Gonzales said bullets were going into the direction of a nearby funeral home, and some were coming in his direction, he added. "We were like, in shock."

He said he didn’t expect a shooting at the school and thought something else might have happened.

"We didn’t expect for this to happen here in Uvalde," Luna added.

The two tried to get out of their car, but police told them to get back in.

In a news briefing earlier Thursday, Victor Escalon, South Texas regional director of Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), told reporters that the gunman shot towards eyewitnesses across the street at a funeral home after he wrecked his car. The official said the shooter then continued to walk towards the school and climbed a fence.