Adriana Reyes, the mother of the suspected Robb Elementary School shooter, has spoken out about her son and has said he 'wasn't a violent person'.
On Tuesday (24 May), 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot and killed at least 19 children and two adults at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as well as injuring a further 17 people. The teenager was shot dead by law enforcement at the scene.
Ramos had been living with his grandmother, Celia Gonzalez, who he shot in the face following a 'domestic disurbance', before stealing the family truck and driving to the elementary school.
His grandmother managed to call the police on the teenager and would later be taken to the hospital in critical condition.
And now, speaking exclusively from Gonzalez's hospital bedside to the Daily Mail, Ramos' mother, Adriana Reyes has spoken about her son's actions.
"My son wasn't a violent person. I'm surprised by what he did," she said. "I pray for those families. I'm praying for all of those innocent children, yes I am. They [the children he killed] had no part in this.
"I had a good relationship with him. He kept to himself; he didn't have many friends."
Reyes went on to add that the last time she saw her son was on his birthday: "I had a card and a Snoopy stuffed animal to give to him."
Ramos's grandfather, 72-year-old Rolando Reyes, also spoke out about his grandson's deadly attack, saying to ABC News: "I didn't know he had weapons. If I'd have known, I would have reported it."
According to the Texas state senator, Roland Gutierrez, Ramos legally purchase two AR-15-style rifles on soon as his 18th birthday passed, which he used during the shooting.
"That was the first thing he did on his 18th birthday," Gutierrez noted.
The legally purchased rifles would then be used to carry out the deadliest shooting at a US grade school, since Sandy Hook, where a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults.
The needless massacre of children in the states is directly linked to the complete lack of restriction on gun laws.
This is something Joe Biden addressed in response to the tragedy on Tuesday: "When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?
The shooting at Robb Elementary in Texas is a horror.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 24, 2022
My heart aches for the families devastated by this tragedy and the Uvalde community.
Children are dying, and we could do something about it. But the GOP won’t stand up to the gun lobby.
Shameful doesn’t begin to cover it.
"I am sick and tired. We have to act."
The gun lobby is a term used to refer to efforts to influence the state and federal policy on guns, which usually occurs through supporting officials who will vote in opposition to gun control measures.
Investigations found that gun lobbying groups, like the National Rifle Association (NRA), are closely linked to the multibillion-dollar firearms industry in the US, as reported by AlJazeera.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
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