Salvador Ramos killed 19 students and two teachers in one of America's worst mass shootings
The mother of the Texas gunman who opened fire in an elementary school yesterday killing 19 young students and two teachers has finally spoken out about her son's horrific actions.
Speaking to the
DailyMail.com, Adriana Reyes - mother of 18-year-old shooter Salvador Ramos - shared her first public comments regarding the tragedy which took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The 39-year-old told the outlet of her shock regarding the incident, claiming that her son "wasn't a violent person" - despite going on to commit one of the deadliest American mass shootings in recent history.
Speaking from outside a San Antonio hospital where she was visiting 66-year-old Celia Gonzalez - Ramos' grandmother who he shot in the face before continuing to carry out his mass shooting at the school - Reyes explained: “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.”
Despite claiming that she didn't have a strained relationship with her son, Reyes admitted that the last time the pair had seen each other was last Monday on Ramos' birthday where she had given him a card and a Snoopy soft toy as a present.
“I had a good relationship with him. He kept to himself; he didn’t have many friends,” she continued.
At the time of the shooting, the 18-year-old was believed to be living with his grandmother.
Authorities believe that Salvador had bought two AR-15 style assault weapons as a birthday present on May 17 and May 20 - both of which were purchased legally. Local police also believe that the man bought 375 rounds of 5.56 ammunition on May 18.
Speaking to
NBC News, 62-year-old Juan Alvarez - boyfriend of Ramos's mother Reyes - claimed that her son had a fraught relationship with his mother that involved frequent fights, including one spurred on by disconnected WIFI.
“He was kind of a weird one. I never got along with him. I never socialized with him. He doesn’t talk to nobody,” explained Alvarez. “When you try to talk to him he’d just sit there and walk away.”
Reyes also spoke to the news outlet, saying: “I’m very upset about everything.
"A lot of stuff has happened, but right now, I don’t feel good.”
Related links:
