Records from the Uvalde school reveal the downward spiral of the teenage gunman leading up to the 2022 school shooting.
The tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022, left 21 innocent lives in its wake, including 19 students and two teachers. A closer look at the perpetrator's history and the response from school staff and law enforcement has been revealed through recently released records.
Salvador Ramos, the perpetrator, was initially described as a bright, motivated thinker and learner in kindergarten. However, his academic performance and conduct deteriorated significantly as he progressed through elementary and middle school, culminating in his withdrawal from high school due to poor academic performance and lack of attendance.
Ramos' school records show repeated disciplinary problems, including suspensions and write-ups for harassment, bullying, fighting, using inappropriate and sexual language, and insubordination. His disruptive behavior was persistent and escalating, with at least 18 documented behavioral incidents between 2015 and 2018, yet no clear follow-up support or intervention was documented.
By middle school, Ramos was suspended or written up multiple times for failing to meet state testing standards and his attendance was problematic, marked by chronic absenteeism. His home environment also raised concerns, with reports indicating that law enforcement had been called to his home months before the shooting.
In the weeks before the massacre, Ramos made troubling online statements, posted threats, and mentioned other mass shootings. Shortly after turning 18, he legally purchased two AR-style rifles used in the attack.
The released records also include the personnel file of former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo, one of two officers facing criminal charges over the slow law enforcement response. Arredondo received a text at 11:40 a.m. on the day of the shooting, noting that another employee reported hearing gunfire outside the school.
Despite this, a group of Uvalde school staffers exchanged texts showing they briefly noted criticisms of the response to the shooting but avoided responding via text message. The records do not offer scant new revelations surrounding the attack and the gunman, whose troubled history has been laid out in previous state and federal investigations.
The released records do not include any video from the day of the shooting and do not shed light on the police response. Arredondo was placed on paid leave by the Uvalde district on June 22, with instructions not to enter any district building, go on any campus, or attend any school activity. He is still being asked questions about security matters in emails after the shooting.
The records were released following a lawsuit by media organizations, including The Associated Press, for the release of records related to the mass shooting. A fourth-grade teacher who was inside the school during the shooting emailed the superintendent on June 12, stating that surviving staff members were being ignored by the district.
Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales, another former Uvalde school district officer, are the only responding officers who face criminal charges for their actions that day. The records do not include any information about their charges or the ongoing investigation.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing early warning signs and providing support to students experiencing academic and behavioral difficulties. It also underscores the need for effective communication and swift action from law enforcement in critical situations.
[1] Texas House Report, 2022 [2] Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District records [3] Previous state and federal investigations [4] Text messages and emails exchanged among Uvalde school staffers
- The media organizations, including The Associated Press, have released records following a lawsuit, offering insights into the tragic Uvalde elementary school shooting in 2022.
- These records reveal that the perpetrator, Salvador Ramos, had a history of academic struggles and behavioral problems, with repeated disciplinary actions throughout his education-and-self-development.
- Sheriff's records also showed troubling online activity, threats, and mentions of other mass shootings before the massacre, along with the legal purchase of two AR-style rifles.
- The records also highlight concerns about the response of school staff and law enforcement, as well as the slow law enforcement response, which led to criminal charges against the former Uvalde schools police chief, Pete Arredondo, and another officer, Adrian Gonzales.
- The released records serve as a call for action in addressing early warning signs in students with academic and behavioral issues, and for effective communication and swift action from law enforcement in critical situations, as demonstrated in the crime-and-justice context of this event.
