Update: 7:42 p.m. ET
The 18-year-old Texas school shooter sent private Facebook messages to a 15-year-old girl in Germany before killing 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde on Tuesday, May 24.
The unidentified girl told authorities she met the gunman in an online chat room earlier in May.
He messaged her on Tuesday that he’d shot his grandmother in the head during an argument over a phone bill.
His grandmother, Celia Gonzales, 66, was able to go across the street for help. She is in critical condition.
He also told the girl he was about to go and shoot up an elementary school.
The chilling messages were read out loud by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at an afternoon news conference on Wednesday.
At 11.21 a.m. he wrote “I just shot my grandma in her head.” In his final message, he wrote: “Ima go shoot up a elementary school.” Just 10 minutes later he crashed his grandmother’s pickup truck outside Robb Elementary School.
Originally published on May 25, 2022 at 4:37 p.m.
The 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and 2 teachers at a Texas elementary school posted his murderous intentions on Facebook.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott read the gunman’s final Facebook posts during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
In one post, the troubled teenager wrote: “I’m going to shoot my grandmother.” In another post, he wrote, “I shot my grandmother.” And in a final post he warned, “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.”
The final message was posted about 15 minutes before he crashed his grandmother’s pickup truck in a ditch outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed that the posts were actually private messages. The spokesperson didn’t identify the recipient of the private messages.
The gunman shot his 66-year-old grandmother, Celia Gonzales, in the face. She was able to run across the street to a neighbor for help. Gonzales is currently in critical condition at an area hospital.
“Evil swept across Uvalde yesterday. Anyone who shoots his grandmother in the face has to have evil in his heart,” Abbott said during the news conference.
Abbott said the shooter had no criminal or mental health history.
The mother of the school shooter claims her son was not a violent person. Adriana Reyes said she was “surprised” that he killed 19 children. She said he was a “loner” who didn’t have many friends.
Reyes spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com from her mother’s bedside at an area hospital.
He had legally purchased two assault rifles on his 18th birthday last week. Police said he was not wearing body armor as had been previously reported.
The shooter’s grandpa, Rolando Reyes, Gonzalez’s husband, described his grandson as a quiet teenager who spent most of his time alone in his room.
The gunman moved in with his grandparents after falling out with his mother, an alleged drug addict.
Reyes denied reports that she had a toxic relationship with the high school dropout.
Reyes said: “My son wasn’t a violent person. I’m surprised by what he did. I pray for those families. I’m praying for all of those innocent children, yes I am. They [the children] had no part in this.”
