Close-knit Texas town mourns after mass school shooting
STORY: Family members gathered at a civic center in the town, with some crying and praying while waiting to hear further updates from the authorities.
Uvalde resident Adele Martinez told Reuters it was "really hard to see what happened" in their community, saying, "My heart is broken for the parents here in Uvalde. It's never thought something like this would happen in a small town and friendly as Uvalde."
Next to her, Paul Martinez explained he knew most of Uvalde's residents as a former city councilman, and described them as "good folks". "My heart goes out to them and condolences to them too. And very sad day for Uvalde, not only today, but the days to come," he said.
The carnage began with the 18-year-old suspect, identified as Salvador Ramos, shooting his own grandmother, who survived, authorities said. He fled that scene and crashed his car near the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a town about 80 miles (130 km) west of San Antonio. There he launched a bloody rampage that ended when he was killed, apparently shot by police. The motive was not immediately clear.
The community, deep in the state's Hill Country region, has about 16,000 residents, nearly 80% of them Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census data.
