Massacre at elementary school
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Texas gunman allegedly had contact with girls in Frankfurt
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A local resident lays flowers in front of Robb Primary School in Uvalde after the killing spree.
Photo: dpa/Bob Daemmrich
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Washington After the deadly rampage in Texas, more details about the shooter became known – including an alleged contact with a girl in Frankfurt am Main. In addition, the topic of weapons comes back into focus. A scandal erupts at a press conference.
According to a media report, before the deadly massacre at an elementary school in Texas, the perpetrator was said to have had contact with a girl in Frankfurt am Main. So she’s only 15 years old. This was reported by the US broadcaster CNN. In parallel with the ongoing investigations, the political dispute over stricter gun laws in the USA has broken out again.
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At a press conference with the Republican governor of the state, Greg Abbott, there was a scandal on Wednesday afternoon (local time). Democrat Beto O’Rourke interrupted the event and criticized Abbott for his stance on gun laws. US President Joe Biden again complained about the extent of gun violence and announced that he wanted to visit the affected community.
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Abbott and other officials for the first time gave detailed information about the bloodbath at Robb Elementary School at the press conference in the small town of Uvalde. A gunman killed 19 children and two teachers there on Tuesday before being shot dead by police. According to investigators, the 18-year-old had bought two assault rifles and ammunition in a shop within a few days in March. He had announced his act on Facebook shortly before, as Abbott said.
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20 pictures US elementary school shooting – shooter kills at least 19 children
Photo: dpa/Billy Calzada
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CNN reported that the gunman also texted a girl from Germany shortly before the massacre. The 15-year-old is said to have been in contact with the shooter since the beginning of May, as the broadcaster reported, citing chat logs and a conversation with the teenager from Frankfurt am Main. According to the broadcaster, the shooter also sent videos of himself to the girl. “He looked happy and comfortable talking to me,” CNN quoted the girl as saying.
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Shortly before the crime, he is said to have complained about his grandmother via text message. Then he told the girl that he had shot the 66-year-old in the head. The woman survived. The shooter then wrote to the girl saying he wanted to shoot herself in an elementary school, according to CNN. That was the last message to the girl in Germany. “Every time I spoke to him, he never had any plans with his friends,” the girl said, according to CNN. The shooter’s grandfather told ABC that his grandson didn’t talk much. “He was very calm.”
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Meanwhile, the debate over stricter gun laws in the United States continues to boil over. At the press conference with Republican Abbott in Uvalde, there were even verbal failures. Democrat O’Rourke was in the audience during the event and accused the Republican of not doing anything about rampant gun violence in the United States. The 49-year-old wants to run against Abbott in the next Texas gubernatorial election in November. Abbott did not respond to the allegations, while other officials called O’Rourke to order and ordered him to leave the room.
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One man shouted at O’Rourke, “You’re out of the ordinary and you’re an embarrassment.” Another man savagely berated the Democrat, saying, “I can’t believe you’re a sick bastard born out of something like this wants to make a political issue.” O’Rourke left the room after the verbal altercation. “We can do something,” he said afterwards, visibly upset in front of the cameras. Abbott cares more about his political career than the people of Texas. “That’s disturbed,” O’Rourke exclaimed.
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In the press conference, Abbott did not attribute these and similar acts to easy access to weapons, but to an increase in mental illness. He also praised the police, noting, “The reality is, as horrific as what happened, it could have been worse.” The 64-year-old is an outspoken supporter of loose gun laws. The gun lobby organization National Rifle Association (NRA) is planning its annual meeting in Texas this Friday. Biden’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, is also scheduled to speak at the Houston meeting.
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A tightening of gun laws in the USA has failed for many years due to a fundamental disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on this issue. While many Democrats have long called for a substantial tightening of gun laws in the country, many Republicans vehemently oppose it.
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US President Joe Biden on Wednesday criticized the absolutism of the right to own guns in the United States. The right enshrined in the Second Amendment is not absolute, he said. Rather, there have always been limitations. “You can’t own a cannon. You’re not allowed to own certain types of guns,” Biden said, calling for stricter gun laws.
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The right to own guns in the United States is enshrined in the Constitution. The corresponding passage dates from the 18th century. Biden emphasized that certain weapons did not exist when the Second Amendment was passed. It is not true that an 18-year-old can simply go into a shop to buy weapons of war. “It’s against common sense.”
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Biden announced that he would come to Uvalde in the next few days. He and his wife hoped to bring some comfort to the small town. “I think we all have to be there for them as a nation,” Biden said. “And we have to ask ourselves when in God’s name are we going to do what needs to be done.”
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