19 children and two teachers were killed after a teenage gunman opened fire on a primary school in Texas.
Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, was placed on lockdown at around 11.45am on Tuesday after gunshots were heard.
The attacker allegedly fired at the elementary school, which is believed to cater for children aged seven to 10, after exchanging gunfire with border patrol agents and barricading himself inside the building.
READ MORE: US school massacre: At least 19 children and two adults dead after shooting in Texas
Police later confirmed that 19 children and two adults had died in the incident.
The shooter has been identified as Salvador Ramos who is also believed to have shot his grandmother dead before the rampage.
Governor Greg Abbott said: "It's believed that he abandoned his vehicle and entered into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde with a handgun and he may have also had a rifle, but that is not yet confirmed according to my most recent report.
"He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and killed a teacher."
That teacher has since been identified as Eva Mireles, a special education teacher who was reportedly shot while trying to protect her young students from the gunfire.
Annabelle Rodriquez, 10, is believed to be another victim after she was reported missing following the shooting.
Uvalde Police Department confirmed on Facebook that the attacker was in police custody shortly after 1pm.
Later it was confirmed he had been shot and killed by officers.
It comes after the school reported that there was an "active shooter" in the area.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital confirmed that two children were brought in dead on arrival and several more were being treated.
Students and a man in his 40s were treated by emergency crews at local hospitals either from gunshot wounds or “something related to the incident”.
A 66-year-old woman was also left in critical condition.
A police bus used for “mass casualty” events was seen arriving at the Uvalde Memorial Hospital where two children were confirmed dead and several others, including at least one adult, were being treated for injuries.
Robb Elementary School, which has 600 students aged from second to fourth grades enrolled, is located around 60 miles east of the Mexico border and around 80 miles west of San Antonio.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another teenage gunman opened fire on a New York supermarket killing ten while targeting African Americans.
