Source: CHANDAN KHANNA / Getty

Photos are always a great way to tell a story, but if it’s a tragedy like Uvalde, Texas shooting, those photos can lead to much-needed action.

The community of Uvalde is trying to pick up the pieces after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas.

According to officials, Salvador Rolando Ramos crashed his truck into a ditch near the school, grabbed his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, and began shooting at people standing outside of a funeral home.

He eventually made his way into the elementary school that housed second, third, and fourth-graders, where he shot at two Uvalde police officers, leaving both injured. Ramos then ran inside a classroom, locked the door, and began shooting students and teachers.

After the shooting, residents from the neighborhood came together for a vigil Wednesday night at the town’s fairgrounds.

Prayers and tears filled the room as parents held their children and loved ones tightly. The tragic shooting has led to more questions than answers, leaving many parents frustrated, confused, and heartbroken.

Uvalde School Shooting Investigation Spotlights ‘Unprepared’ Police Response

A new article from the Associated Press suggests that the heavily armed Ramos not only encountered an alleged school resource officer in the still-not fully explained moments leading up to the shooting outside of the school who also inexplicably did not prevent him from entering the building.

Witness Juan Carranza, who lives across the street from the school, told the Associated Press that he suggested to the growing crowd that they storm the school to stop the shooter and said the police settled on a more passive response.

“Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to,” Carranza recalled saying. “More could have been done.”

He described the police as “unprepared.”

Uvalde School Shooting Comes Days Before NRA Hosts Pro-Gun Texas Republicans

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz were scheduled to deliver remarks at the National Rifle Association‘s (NRA) annual meeting this weekend in Houston.

Cruz regurgitated the requisite hollow thoughts and prayers that are routinely offered following mass shootings and other tragedies. But absent from Cruz’s tweet — the only public comments the senator made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting — was any sentiment addressing the clear and apparent need for gun control.

Less than a year ago Abbott championed the so-called “constitutional carry” legislation that allows Texans to carry handguns without obtaining a license or securing any gun training.

Texas Republicans Deflect From Inaction On Gun Reform After Uvalde School Shooting

In the hours immediately after a horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas Republicans opted to deflect from the clear need for gun reform. Both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. Ted Cruz doubled down on false narratives about gun reform while passing the buck once again.

When asked to respond to the school shooting at Robb Elementary, Paxton suggested teachers and administrators may need to be armed and prepared to “respond quickly.” Except there’s no evidence that a good guy with a gun mentality would save lives.

Below are pictures from the tragic aftermath.

1. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 21 Dead


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UVALDE, TEXAS – MAY 26: A memorial is seen surrounding the Robb Elementary School sign following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) 

2. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 19 Dead


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UVALDE, TEXAS – MAY 24: A family grieves outside of the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) 

3. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 19 Dead


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UVALDE, TEXAS – MAY 24: A family grieves outside of the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement. 

4. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves 21 Dead Including Shooter


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UVALDE, TX – MAY 24: People become emotional at the City of Uvalde Town Square during a prayer vigil in the wake of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed before the gunman was fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)

5. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves 21 Dead Including Shooter


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UVALDE, TX – MAY 24: Members of the community gather at the City of Uvalde Town Square for a prayer vigil in the wake of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed before the gunman was fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images) 

6. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 21 Dead


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UVALDE, TEXAS – MAY 25: Community member Kara Lands, 39, donates blood at the South Texas Blood Bank’s emergency blood drive on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. The South Texas Blood Bank held an emergency blood drive for victims of the Uvalde school shooting. According to reports, during the mass shooting, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) 

7. US-SCHOOL-CRIME-TEXAS


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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks to the media after interrupting a press conference held by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

8. US-SCHOOL-CRIME-TEXAS-SHOOTING-WEAPONS


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Police officers stand outside the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) 

9. US-SCHOOL-CRIME-TEXAS-SHOOTING-WEAPONS


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People are supporting Rosa Gonzalez, the friend of a family who lost their daughter, at the Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) 

10. TOPSHOT-US-SCHOOL-CRIME-TEXAS-SHOOTING-WEAPONS


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TOPSHOT – A local resident holds a placard that reads Prayers 4 Uvalde as they grieve for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

11. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- Candles sit outside of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday. Nineteen students and two teachers died when a gunman opened fire in a classroom yesterday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 

12. Vigil Held For Uvalde Shooting Victims Outside NRA Headquarters In Virginia


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FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – MAY 25: Gun-control advocates hold a vigil outside of the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters following the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. The group is calling for gun law reforms after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) 

13. Vigil Held For Uvalde Shooting Victims Outside NRA Headquarters In Virginia


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FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – MAY 25: Gun-control advocates hold a vigil outside of the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters following the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. The group is calling for gun law reforms after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) 

14. Vigil Held For Uvalde Shooting Victims Outside NRA Headquarters In Virginia


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FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – MAY 25: Gun-control advocates hold a vigil outside of the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters following the recent mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. The group is calling for gun law reforms after an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) 

15. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 21 Dead


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UVALDE, TX – MAY 25: A young girl who did not wish to be named holds a sign bearing the names of the victims at a vigil for 21 people killed at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. The shooter, identified as 18 year old Salvador Ramos, was killed by law enforcement. (Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)

16. Texas school shooting


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TEXAS, USA – MAY 25: A view from the makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. Flowers are placed on a makeshift memorial. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. Texas state troopers outside Robb Elementary School 19 students and one teacher were killed during a massacre in a Texas elementary school, the deadliest US school shooting. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 

17. Texas school shooting


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TEXAS, USA – MAY 25: A view from the makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. Flowers are placed on a makeshift memorial. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. Texas state troopers outside Robb Elementary School 19 students and one teacher were killed during a massacre in a Texas elementary school, the deadliest US school shooting. 

18. Mass Shooting At Elementary School In Uvalde, Texas Leaves At Least 21 Dead


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UVALDE, TEXAS – MAY 25: Community members listen during a prayer at a vigil for the 21 victims in the mass shooting at Rob Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, at a vigil for the 21 victims in the mass shooting at Rob Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen students and two adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) 

19. Boston Red Sox v Chicago White Sox


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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 25: (L-R) Adam Engel #15, Jake Burger #30, Andrew Vaughn #25 and Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox bow their heads in a moment of silence for the victims of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) 

20. Charlotte FC v New York Red Bulls – U.S. Open Cup


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MONTCLAIR, NJ – MAY 25: Members of the starting lineup of the New York Red Bulls stand for a moment of silence for the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas before the start of the U.S. Open Cup match against the Charlotte FC at MSU Soccer Park on May 25, 2022 in Montclair, New Jersey. (Photo by Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images) 

21. Boston Red Sox v Chicago White Sox


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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 25: Adam Engel #15, Jake Burger #30, Andrew Vaughn #25, and Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox bow their heads in a moment of silence for the victims of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

22. TOPSHOT-US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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TOPSHOT – People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

23. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People gather at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church to pray for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) 

24. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- Adrian Alonzo is consoled by his mother during a vigil Wednesday at the Uvalde County Fairplex to honor the fallen victims of a mass shooting in Texas. Nineteen students and two teachers died when a gunman opened fire in a classroom yesterday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 

25. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- Mourners gather Wednesday at the Uvalde County Fairplex to honor the fallen victims of a mass shooting during a vigil in Texas. Nineteen students and two teachers died when a gunman opened fire in a classroom yesterday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 

26. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- Mourners pray after a vigil Wednesday to honor the fallen victims of a mass shooting at the Uvalde County Fairplex in Texas Wednesday. Nineteen students and two teachers died when a gunman opened fire in a classroom yesterday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 

27. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- A fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary school consoles her student after a vigil at the Uvalde County Fairplex in Texas Wednesday. The teacher who did not give her name said I told my students to get down and pray after she heard the gun fire. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) 

28. School Shooting, Uvalde Texas


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Uvalde, Texas May 25, 2022- Esmerralda Bravo holds a picture of her grandaughter Naveah, a shooting victim, Wednesday at the Uvalde County Fairplex to honor the fallen victims of a mass shooting during a vigil in Texas. Nineteen students and two teachers died when a gunman opened fire in a classroom yesterday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

29. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images) 

30. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

31. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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A police officer comforts a woman during a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

32. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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A girl cries during a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

33. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

34. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

35. US-TEXAS-SCHOOL-CRIME


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People mourn as they attend a vigil for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 25, 2022. – The tight-knit Latino community of Uvalde was wracked with grief Wednesday after a teen in body armor marched into the school and killed 19 children and two teachers, in the latest spasm of deadly gun violence in the US. (Photo by allison dinner / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

36. Texas school shooting


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UVALDE,TEXAS, USA – MAY 25:Flowers are placed on a make shift memorial outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. Texas state troopers outside Robb Elementary School 19 students and one teacher were killed during a massacre in a Texas elementary school, the deadliest US school shooting. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 

37. People Attend a Prayer Vigil in Uvalde Texas


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UVALDE,TX – MAY 25: People attend a prayer vigil for the Robb Elementary School students and teachers at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Salvador Rolando Ramos, an 18-year-old Uvalde resident, shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at the school yesterday. Ramos, who was apparently killed by law enforcement officials also shot his grandmother before traveling to the elementary school. (Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images) 

38. WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 24: President Joe Biden joined by First La


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WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 24: President Joe Biden joined by First Lady Jill Biden, speaks to the nation about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, from the White House on May 24, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) 

39. WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 24: President Joe Biden speaks to the nati


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WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 24: President Joe Biden speaks to the nation about the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, from the White House on May 24, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)