Texas authorities mentioned Friday that the gunman who killed 19 youngsters and two lecturers inside an elementary college mentioned his curiosity in shopping for a gun in non-public on-line conversations, however backed away from earlier descriptions that he made public threats lower than an hour earlier than the assault.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned Wednesday, a day after the capturing, that “the one info that was identified upfront was posted by the gunman on Facebook roughly half-hour earlier than reaching the varsity.” Abbott’s declare prompted questions on whether or not expertise corporations might have supplied advance warning.
However on Friday, the top of the Texas Division of Public Security mentioned the gunman made the threatening feedback in a personal message.
“I need to appropriate one thing that was mentioned early on within the investigation, that he posted on Fb publicly that he was going to kill, that he was going to shoot his grandmother and secondly after that that he was going to, that he had shot her and that third he was going to go shoot up a faculty,” Steven McCraw mentioned. “That didn’t occur.”
Fb had already famous on Wednesday that the threats have been in direct textual content messages, not a public publish.
McCraw didn’t say to whom 18-year-old Salvador Ramos despatched the messages.
McCraw additionally informed reporters Friday that Ramos requested his sister to assist him purchase a gun in September 2021, however that she “flatly refused.” He didn’t say how authorities discovered of that request.
McCraw shared info from 4 extra of Ramos’ social media non-public messages.
In a February 28 four-person chat, McCraw mentioned that “Ramos being a faculty shooter” was mentioned.
In a March 1 four-person chat, he mentioned Ramos mentioned shopping for a gun.
In a March 3 four-person chat, one other individual mentioned “phrase on the road is that you just’re shopping for a gun.” McCraw mentioned Ramos replied, “Simply purchased one thing.”
On March 14, McCraw mentioned Ramos shared the phrases “10 extra days” in a social media publish. One other person requested “Are you going to shoot up a faculty or one thing?” McCraw mentioned.
He mentioned Ramos replied, “No and cease asking dumb questions and you will see.”
McCraw didn’t establish any of the opposite folks included in these discussion groups.
The division didn’t instantly reply to a request Friday for extra element, together with screenshots of the communications talked about in the course of the information convention.
Authorities have mentioned Ramos legally bought two weapons not lengthy earlier than the varsity assault: an AR-style rifle on Might 17 and a second rifle on Might 20. He had turned 18 simply days earlier, allowing him to purchase a rifle below federal legislation.
Friday’s briefing got here after authorities spent three days offering typically conflicting and incomplete details about the legislation enforcement response in Uvalde.