Almost two months after the fatal shooting at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary, where 21 lives were lost in the massacre, an official report detailing the alleged shooter’s behavior should have set off red flags. The Texas House Committee released the 77-page report, which covered the gaps in prevention and response by local law enforcement.
Immediately after the massacre, the media released few details about the alleged shooter, known as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. Yet as investigators would discover, Ramos was known among those close to him for “irrational” and “threatening” behavior.
Ramos was born in North Dakota but moved to Uvalde at a young age. His father was not involved in his life during this time. The report also found that the relationship between Ramos and his mother was often rocky.
At school, teachers had described him as “a pleasure to have,” yet he struggled academically and suffered from a speech impediment. Ramos claimed to be a victim of repeated bullying, which took place in fourth grade.
As testified by the shooter’s former girlfriend, Ramos was “lonely and depressed” in the years leading up to the attack, and friends had dubbed him a “school shooter” type. He had reportedly told those close to him that he was planning for “something big,” but they did not know what he was insinuating.
Acquaintances said Ramos sought “notoriety and fame” and was active on social media sites such as TikTok and Snapchat. He would often tell his peers that he had become “famous” on these sites. However, his attempts at trying to grow an online audience had failed. His hints towards others became more and more specific, with sources stating that he would refer to his “lil secret” that would soon be “all over the news.”
Ramos began stockpiling ammunition and equipment months before the shooting and legally purchased two AR-15 assault rifles after his 18th birthday. According to NPR, his large purchase of two weapons, 60 magazines, and 2,000 rounds of ammo was reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms but not to local police.
The report stated that “there apparently was no information actually known to local Uvalde law enforcement that should have identified this attacker as a threat to any school campus.” However, before the rampage, multiple people witnessed his “nervous” and sketchy behavior, begging the question of whether or not the shooting could have been prevented.