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19 Children, 2 Adults Are Killed in Texas School Shooting; Biden Calls For Gun Reform, I'm Sick and Tired of Mass Shootings; More Mass Shootings in America Than Days So Far in 2022. Aired 7-7:30a ET
Aired May 25, 2022 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[07:00:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. It is Wednesday, May 25th. I'm John Berman live in Uvalde, Texas. Brianna Keilar is in New York this morning. And behind me is the Robb Elementary School.
19 children who went to school here are dead this morning, along with two adults. The kids second, third, fourth graders. We've just learned the identity of two of the young victims, ten-year-old Amerie Jo Garza has been identified by her father who spent seven hours trying to find his daughter in the wake of the shooting. He now says, my little love is flying high with the angels above.
And we just learned that ten-year-old fourth grader Xavier Lopez passed away. His mother snapped this photo of him at an honor roll ceremony only a few hours before the shooting. She told The Washington Post he was funny, never serious, and his smile, that smile I will never forget. It would always cheer anyone up. He really couldn't wait to go to middle school. She told him she was proud and that she loved him before hugging him goodbye. She said she did not imagine that it would be the last moment she would share with her mama's boy. Again, just made the honor roll, an honor roll ceremony moments before the shooting.
A family member confirms to CNN that Eva Mireles, a fourth grade teacher, was also killed.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Here is what we do know at this hour. 21 people have been killed. Police say the gunman shot his grandmother who is currently in critical condition and then crashed his vehicle before entering Robb Elementary School wearing body armor.
The 18-year-old shooter has been identified. He attended the high school there in town. He was killed by law enforcement officers at the scene and a photo of two AR-15-style rifles appeared on an Instagram account linked to the gunman just three days before the shooting. His TikTok page had a bio under his profile picture that said, kids, be scared.
An emotional President Biden addressing the nation, calling on the country to turn its collective pain into political action following the deadliest elementary school shooting since Sandy Hook a decade ago.
BERMAN: So, this is what we know about this town where I am, Uvalde, Texas. It is a town of about 16,000 people, about 600 students go to school here at Robb, all second through fourth graders. The school is 90 percent Hispanic. About 80 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged.
The town itself is about 80 miles west of San Antonio, about 55 miles from the U.S./Mexico border and it is now the site this morning of the latest tragedy in the United States.
Adrienne Broaddus joins us from Uvalde Memorial Hospital where victims are being treated this morning. Adrienne?
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, John. 19 of the victims, those who are deceased, were looking forward to ending the school year tomorrow. Others who were injured were transported to this hospital behind me where the staff is not only caring for their wounds physically but emotionally.
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BROADDUS (voice over): The city of Uvalde, Texas, reeling after a school shooting at an elementary school left at least 19 children and two adults dead.
HAL HARRELL, SUPERINTENDENT, UVALDE, CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: My heart is broken today. We're a small community and we need your prayers to get us through this.
BROADDUS: An 18-year-old gunman drove to Robb Elementary School around midday Tuesday. He crashed his vehicle in a ditch nearby and ran toward the building, weapons in hand.
SGT. ERICK ESTRADA, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (voice over): There was several law enforcement that engaged the suspect, but he was able to make entry into the school where he did go into several classrooms and, unfortunately, he did fire his firearm.
[07:05:00]
BROADDUS: Texas Senate Senator Roland Gutierrez says the shooter, quote, had no problem legally purchasing the assault-style rifles used in the massacre.
STATE SEN. ROLAND GUTIERREZ (D-TX): He went to high school here in Uvalde. And, unfortunately, on his 18th birthday, he bought those two assault rifles that you've been talking about, and they are assault rifles. That's the first thing he did when he turned 18.
BROADDUS: The FBI and ATF are assisting local authorities with the investigation. Area hospitals were treating at least 20 patients. Customs and Border Protection, the largest law enforcement agency in the area, dispatched more than 20 agents to the shooting. The shooter was apprehended but later pronounced dead. GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): He himself is deceased. And it is believed that responding officers killed him. It appears that two responding officers were struck by rounds but have no serious injuries.
What happened in Uvalde is a horrific tragedy that cannot be tolerated in the state of Texas.
BROADDUS: The shooter is also believed to have shot his grandmother first.
GUTIERREZ: What I do know is that this young man shot his grandmother and then fled that scene. The grandmother is still holding on, that she was airlifted to San Antonio.
BROADDUS: As the predominantly Hispanic city of about 15,000 comes to terms with the attack, the school district's chief of police ruled out any other suspects in the shooting.
CHIEF PETE ARREDONDO, UVALDE CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE: And we are not actively looking for another individual or any other suspects in this case. We definitely ask you all to keep the family, the families that are involved, in your prayers.
BROADDUS: For the second time in fewer than ten days, President Joe Biden addressed the nation after a mass shooting.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I am sick and tired of it. Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God's name is our backbone?
BROADDUS: Biden calling for action and demanding lawmakers stand up to the gun lobby, as another community is added to the list of sites of mass shootings in the United States. There have been 30 shootings at K through 12 schools so far in 2022. The Uvalde shooting makes it the worst attack on an American school since the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut in 2012 that left 20 children and six adults dead.
A senator from that state, Democrat Chris Murphy, begged his colleagues to help pass gun safety laws.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Our kids are living in fear every single time they set foot in a classroom because they think they are going to be next. What are we doing? Why do you spend all this time running for the United States Senate? Why do you go through all the hassle of getting this job, of putting yourself in a position of authority if your answer is that, as the slaughter increases, as our kids run for their lives, we do nothing?
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BROADDUS (on camera): Pain and passion on the floor there.
Meanwhile, State Senator Gutierrez said the shooter purchased those rifles on his 18th birthday. He also said it was the first thing he did that day. Meanwhile, the parents of these 19 children are planning funerals instead of their summer vacation. They now have to find the perfect casket or urn to reflect the personality of the little life they loved and lost. John?
BERMAN: An eight, nine or ten-year-old. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you so much.
Joining me now is Sue Rankin, she's coordinating a nearby blood drive at the Herby Ham Activity Center for the victims of the shooting. Sue, thank you so much for being with us.
SUE RANKIN, PRIMARY BLOOD DRIVE COORDINATOR, HERBY HAM ACTIVITY CENTER: Thank you.
BERMAN: You've lived here in Uvalde for seven years. Just talk to me about what this moment is like for you.
RANKIN: Well, I know so many finding out now that I know so many of the parents and the grandparents and the aunts and uncles of these kids that were killed and were injured and it's such a tight knit community, such a wonderful area, and it's devastating. It's to our root, below our root, what it's done to this community. We will never be the same. We will never be the same.
BERMAN: Talk to me. This looks like so many elementary schools around the country. Tell me about the Robb Elementary School and its place here in the Uvalde community.
RANKIN: I know friends of mine that I direct an adult activity center and there's people there that are in their 70s and they say they taught here, people say they went here. It has such wonderful memories for this community. There are carnivals here and so much fun and community and the community supports them in amazing ways.
BERMAN: So, an attack here is an attack on the heart of the community.
RANKIN: Absolutely. Absolutely.
[07:10:00]
There is no one in this town that will not be personally touched by this, either through a friend, a relative, something like that. I mean, I'm not even from here and I know people who -- I know people now who are looking for these kids and they can't find them because there was no I.D. on them and the kids can't speak when they take them to the hospital. So, these parents are looking everywhere for their children.
BERMAN: Does this make you angry?
RANKIN: Yes, it does make me angry, and there needs to be more security put into place, you know, at these schools. And you think it's never going to happen in Uvalde. You know, you actually think people have said that, it will never happen here, and here it is. And it's so sad. It's so very sad.
BERMAN: Talk to me about what you're trying to do with the blood drive.
RANKIN: We are helping the victims with giving the need of blood to them through the South Texas blood and tissue center. And we're starting that today. They're going to start at 9:00 A.M. at 248 FM- 3447 here in Uvalde, and just we already had a full roster of people that have signed up. But people are coming in, they are going to be walking in and they're sending two buses up from San Antonio for this.
BERMAN: Not surprising, people want to help. People want to feel like they can do something, anything.
RANKIN: People want to help.
BERMAN: You say you know a lot of families, you know a lot of grandparents, parents with kids who have died here. What can you tell us about these families?
RANKIN: They are devastated. Of course, they're devastated. Who wouldn't be? And I was texting people last night until midnight saying this person has died and this person has not been located, this child hasn't been located, please pray for the families. That's what you see coming all over the feed, pray for the families, pray for the families, because they're devastated. They don't know where their children are.
BERMAN: Do you have a feeling as you're waking up, and it is early here, that at this point most of the families know or are they still waking up --
RANKIN: I don't know. I can't answer that. I have no idea. I just know a few that have found out and they've been posting pictures on Facebook saying pray for this family and you all have reported on a couple of children that have been identified, but I can't answer that.
BERMAN: Sue, again, we appreciate the efforts --
RANKIN: Thank you.
BERMAN: -- that you're making here. Again, I know so many people would like to figure out a way to contribute and you're giving people a way to help.
RANKIN: Yes. We are planning a food drive and possibly a financial drive. I do need to contact the school district first, talk to Mr. Carol about that and tell him that there are plans under way that we want to do for the families.
BERMAN: 80 percent, of the students here, we understand, come from families who are economically disadvantaged.
RANKIN: Right, and it's very difficult.
BERMAN: Sue, thank you so much for everything. RANKIN: Thank you so much. Thank you.
BERMAN: We're going to be joined by a former principal of the Robb Elementary School in just a moment.
As we learn more about the victims of this shooting, two ten year olds have been identified and a fourth grade teacher.
Stay with us, our special live coverage continues.
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KEILAR: CNN is learning more about the 21 victims who died at an elementary school in Texas. Ten-year-old Amerie Jo Garza has been identified by her father. He spent seven hours trying to find his daughter after the shooting. Angel Garza says, my little love is flying high with the angels above.
Also, ten-year-old fourth grader Javier Lopez, his mother took this photo of him at an honor roll ceremony just Tuesday, a few hours before the shooting. She tells The Washington Post he was her mama's boy. He was funny, never serious, and his smile, that smile I will never forget. It would always cheer anyone up. He really couldn't wait to go to middle school.
BERMAN: And the family of Eva Mireles tells CNN she was one of the two adults who were killed. Mireles taught fourth grade at the Robb Elementary School and spent 17 years as an educator. When Eva wasn't teaching, we're told, she enjoyed running, hiking, biking, spending time with her family. We are going to speak to Eva's aunt shortly.
KEILAR: Just heartbreaking to hear these stories of these kids. And I think, you know, it's one of the things we heard earlier from one of our guests, John, was this was the last week of school and they were looking forward to their summer and their next year ahead of them.
BERMAN: Yes. Tomorrow was supposed to be the last day of school. You saw Xavier just had his honor roll ceremony. They were playing pomp and circumstance around the school, neighbors were telling CNN they heard them, which is what you play when there is a moving up or a graduation ceremony. That was what was supposed to be going on here, not what ultimately happened yesterday.
Joining us now is Ross McGlothlin, he recently served as the principal of the Robb Elementary School. Thanks so much for being with us.
Look, I do want to ask you were principal here, I believe, in 2015- 2016, I know it's early, but do you know any of the families, any of the people here who were victims?
ROSS MCGLOTHLIN, FORMER PRINCIPAL, ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Well, I appreciate you all having me on to share good memories of Robb Elementary and that school community. I have heard of some of the news out of Uvalde and knew some of the victims, not students, but staff members, and my heart goes out to them.
KEILAR: Ross, can you tell us a little bit about the school, what it's like?
[07:20:00]
We know this is a very tight-knit community and, of course, this was the end of the school year.
MCGLOTHLIN: Sure. In lots of school districts across Texas, the school year is ending this week. And Robb Elementary is a great school. The original campus I would estimate was built in the early 1960s. An addition was built in probably the early 2000s.
When I was principal there, it serves students in third and fourth grade. They come from across the city of Uvalde, so Uvalde separates out some students in some grade levels attending some campuses, but third and fourth graders were there when I was there. And it's a special place.
The city -- you know, the public school system there in Uvalde is at the heart of the community. Many teachers and staff members grew up in Uvalde and so it's tragic.
BERMAN: I just spoke to a woman from the community who said she had heard people say before something like this could never happen at Uvalde. What do you say to that?
MCGLOTHLIN: We never believe that something as tragic can happen so close to us. And I understand where she was coming from like that. Uvalde is a great little town, it's a quiet, friendly community, farming land to the south and ranch land to the north. It's the gateway to the Texas hill country. You know, county seat, nice little city square there around the county courthouse, kind of a crossroads, 50 miles -- 55 miles north of the border with Mexico. And this is just a sad example that this absolutely can happen anywhere.
KEILAR: Uvalde has the eyes of a nation on it now, Ross, and I wonder what you want people to know.
MCGLOTHLIN: I want you to know about the friendliness and spirit of the people of Uvalde during this very, very sad time. When my wife and I lived in Uvalde, we were greeted with open arms as new members of that community and I want you all to know that these are friendly folks that are hardworking, that support their public schools, that are the types of folks that are -- they are there at Friday night football games and working in ways to make their community better and better.
But that was the impression that the teachers and staff and children, families made on me while I was there, that they were 100 percent behind the schools and behind educators and the parents and guardians of our students most certainly wanted their children to get a strong foundation in order to reach their potential and achieve their dreams. And that's what we were all working towards there. BERMAN: That's a strong community and a community they're going to need each other this morning. Ross McGlothlin, we thank you for sharing your thoughts.
MCGLOTHLIN: You all take care.
BERMAN: We are getting new details in this morning about the 18-year- old gunman, when and how he bought the firearms used in the attack. This is CNN's special live coverage from Uvalde, Texas.
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[07:25:00]
MCGLOTHLIN: Welcome back. I'm John Berman live at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children second, third and fourth graders and two adults were killed. Police say a gunman shot his grandmother who is in critical condition, then crashed his vehicle outside the school here before entering the building wearing body armor.
KEILAR: The 18-year-old shooter has been identified. He attended the local high school there in Uvalde and he was killed by law enforcement officers at the scene. A photo of two AR-15-style rifles appeared on an Instagram account linked to the gunman just three days before the shooting. His TikTok page had a bio under his picture that said, kids, be scared.
An emotional President Biden addressing the nation calling on the country to turn its collective pain into political action following this deadliest elementary school shooting since Sandy Hook in December of 2012.
Now, the shooting took place as voters across Texas head to the polls for primary runoffs ahead of the November election.
And joining me now is Rochelle Garza, she won her runoff and is going to be the Democratic nominee for Texas attorney general looking to unseat Republican Ken Paxton. Rochelle, thank you so much for being with us.
Obviously, yesterday marred by what we saw happen in Uvalde, really defining the day in Texas and here in the days to come. I just want to touch personally on the fact you are the daughter of two public schoolteachers, you're also a new mom, as I understand it.
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