Uvalde school shooting suspect was a loner who bought two assault rifles for his 18th birthday

The suspect who killed 19 kids and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, was a local high school student with few if any friends who officials said legally purchased two assault rifles and scores of ammo last week for his 18th birthday. Salvador Ramos was identified as the gunman who stormed into Robb Elementary on Tuesday with an assault rifle and tactical vest, barricaded himself in adjoining classrooms of children and opened fire, authorities said. From there, the suspect crashed his vehicle into a ditch near the elementary school and emerged with a rifle and a backpack while wearing a tactical vest that holds extra ammunition, said DPS Sgt. Erick Estrada. Investigators found one of the suspect’s rifles, manufactured by Daniel Defense, in the school with the suspect, Whitmire said, citing the ATF. The suspect attended a local high school and lived with his grandparents, Olivarez said. “People would, like, actually call him school shooter and stuff like that,” he said. In messages posted to her story before it went private, the girl said that she didn’t live in Texas and didn’t know Ramos. Abbott said that in the first of three messages, about 30 minutes before the school shooting, Ramos wrote, “I’m going to shoot my grandmother.”