'Why do school mass shootings only happen in America?' Ted Cruz storms away from British Sky News journalist who he calls a 'propagandist' when asked tricky question during Texas massacre vigil

• Ted Cruz stormed out of interview after being asked why school mass shootings 'only happen in America'
• A British journalist asked the Texas senator as he attended a vigil for Robb Elementary massacre victims
• Salvador Ramos, 18, killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, in Texas
• The lone gunman used two AR-15-style rifles he had bought just last week, days after his 18th birthday
• The school mass shooting is the worst since Sandy Hook in 2012, and has reignited debate around gun laws

This is the moment Texas senator Ted Cruz stormed out of an interview after being asked why school mass shootings 'only happen in America' during a vigil for victims of the Robb Elementary School massacre.  

Cruz had joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott to be with hundreds of tearful relatives and friends mourning 19 children and two teachers killed in Tuesday's shooting - the worst ever in the state and the deadliest in a US school since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012.

Salvador Ramos used an AR-15 rifle that he bought legally on his 18th birthday just months before the attack to shoot his 66-year-old grandmother in the face then drive to the nearby school, where he barricaded himself inside a fourth-grade classroom and butchered the students inside.

Mark Stone, a British journalist working for Sky News, had cornered Cruz - who has strong ties with the NRA and is due to speak at their convention in Texas on Friday alongside Abbott - at the vigil and asked him whether it is time for gun reform laws in America. 

Stone pressed Cruz over what he called an 'awful aspect of American exceptionalism', saying that those watching tragedies such as Abbott Elementary from overseas 'cannot fathom' why action is not being taken, and that the families of victims are calling for tighter restrictions on weapons.

Cruz initially sought to deflect, at first turning the spotlight on Ramos - who he called a 'violent psychopath' - before pivoting to 'Democrats and the media' who he blamed for trying to push a political agenda, insisting that 'Democrat plans would not have stopped this.'

He then tried to walk out of the interview, pursued by Stone and an American colleague who asked him repeatedly why such mass shootings 'only happen in America'. 

Accusing the pair of being 'propagandists', Cruz added: 'Why is it that people come from all over the world to America? Because it's the freest, most prosperous, safest country on Earth.'

Joe Biden kicked off the gun control debate in a speech delivered from the White House late Tuesday, just hours after the shooting, saying it is time to 'turn pain into action' and asking voters: 'When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?'

Cruz has been at the forefront of the pushback, repeating well-worn arguments that ‘targeting the fugitives and the felons and the bad guys' rather than the constitutional right to bear arms is the key to reducing violence.

'But, as sure as night follows day, you can bet there [are] going to be Democrat politicians looking to advance their own pollical agenda rather than to work to stop this kind of horrific violence and to keep everyone safe,' he said on Tuesday night.

However, his stance has drawn fierce criticism - including from House Democrat Ruben Gallego who tweeted 'f*** you Ted Cruz, you f***ing baby killer.' In a later tweet, he added: 'Get your a** to Cancun. You are useless,' recalling a holiday that Cruz took to Mexico amid a fatal cold snap Texas suffered in February 2021.

Cruz is one of 50 Republican senators who are working to block the progress of two pieces of gun control legislation that were passed by House Democrats in 2021. The first would strengthen background checks on those seeking to buy guns, and the second would expand the period to review gun purchases to 10 days.

Democrats can call a debate on the legislation any time, but know they have to find 10 Republicans to vote with them to avoid it being filibustered - something Cruz is famous for. 

So far, there is no indication of GOP members being willing to cross the aisle, despite polls showing support for the measures. A 2014 survey found 92 per cent of Americans approve of universal background checks. A survey taken last week found 59 per cent believe it is 'very' or 'somewhat' important that Congress pass new safety laws.

Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat Senator for Rhode Island, called the situation 'astonishingly frustrating' - telling The Hill: 'These are things that most gun owners want and yet this rabid God-damned NRA won’t let the Republicans move. 

Texas has some of the loosest gun laws in America, permitting the open carry of weapons and allowing those aged over 18 to buy rifles - something that other states limit to those aged over 21. It also has the highest total number of deaths per year from guns - 4,164 in the year 2020, according to CDC data. 

Governor Abbott has in recent years has trumpeted his efforts to relax gun laws in the state, including a bill signed into law last year that allowed for the permitless open carry of handguns in the state.

Abbot has faced similar criticism to Cruz following the Robb Elementary shooting, including from Democrat Beto O'Rourke who stormed into a vigil event for victims late Wednesday and heckled him from the crowd - accusing him of 'doing nothing' to prevent mass shootings.

Both Cruz and Abbott are set to appear alongside former President Donald Trump at the NRA's national conference which is due to take place in Texas on Friday. 

The lobby group insists the event will still go ahead despite the school shooting, though Daniel Defense - the company which makes the AR-style rifle used to carry out Tuesday's massacre - will no longer attend.

As mourners embraced and wept, relatives and friends of those murdered gathered on the bleachers and on the dirt of a fairground arena in the small town of Uvalde.

Throughout the day, mourners made their way to a municipal center, where they could receive psychological support. 

Around 15,000 people live in the town, which is 50 miles from the border with Mexico. 

Ryan Ramirez fought back tears as he spoke of his 'lovable' 10-year-old daughter Alithia, an aspiring artist who was among the 19 schoolchildren killed in a cold-blooded shooting that has devastated the tight-knit community. 

Some held portraits of the dead, others squeezed stuffed animals and drawings, each struggling to comprehend the tragedy of the previous day.

'I'm just heartbroken right now,' Ramirez said as Alithia's mother hugged their other daughter.

'She was a real good artist' and aspired to greatness, he added, flipping through a portfolio of his daughters colorful paintings as well as birthday cards she drew for her mother.

'My daughter would want everybody that was involved to be strong and keep it together. That's what we're trying to do.'

Young Alithia faced similar tragedy last September when she lost a close classmate, Nico, in a car crash in Dallas, her father said.

She processed the grief in one of the few ways that made sense: through art.

Ramirez showed a detailed drawing his daughter had made of Nico up in heaven, looking down at the friend he left behind.

Religious figures offered prayers at the bilingual vigil, where Governor Greg Abbott gripped Uvalde's Mayor Ruben Nolasco in a long hug.

A grieving Esmeralda Bravo held a photograph of her granddaughter Nevaeh, one of those who was murdered.

'This has no explanation, my granddaughter did not deserve this,' Bravo said quietly.

'She was a good little girl, very shy and very pretty,' she said. 'It means so much to me to have this support from the community but I would rather have my granddaughter here with me.'

Hours earlier and blocks away, Aida Hernandez shed bitter tears as she left mass at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church.

Hernandez, who is in her sixties, taught at Robb Elementary until she retired two years ago.

In the small house of worship off Uvalde's main street, the largely Hispanic congregation prayed for the victims of America's worst school shooting in a decade.

It is the worst school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012, when year-old lone gunman Adam Lanza shot dead 20 children and six teachers at the Connecticut elementary school. 

After the mass for Tuesday's massacre, Hernandez said: 'My experience was of horror and pain. I knew the victims. I'm still in shock.'

'When you teach and you're in the classroom, that's your job to protect them. They did more beyond what they were supposed to do.'

Rosie Buantel, in her fifties, was equally grief-stricken but outraged as well. The massacre at Robb Elementary has reignited debate over gun laws.

Buantel said: 'I'm sad and I'm angry at our government for not doing more about gun control.

'We've gone through this one too many times. And still there's nothing done. They're still debating.'

Shooter's mother claims her son was NOT violent

The mother of the sick school shooter who shot dead 19 children and two teachers in Texas has claimed he 'wasn't a violent person'.

Adriana Reyes said she was 'surprised' Salvador Ramos opened fire in a horrific killing spree at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde yesterday.

She admitted her son was a loner who 'kept to himself and didn't have many friends' but shot down reports she had a toxic relationship with him.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com she did not address claims she was a drug addict who saw the boy ditch her and go to live with his grandmother Celia Gonzalez.

Reyes was speaking from the bedside of Gonzalez, 66, as she recovers from being blasted in the face by her vile grandson before he went on a rampage and shot dead 19 children and two teachers.

He had bought two AR-15 assault rifles, bragged about them on social media and suggested he would commit an atrocity before the deadly attack.

But earlier today Ramos' grandfather revealed the family had no idea he legally purchased the two weapons last week.

Rolando Reyes, 74, Gonzalez's husband, also claimed his grandson had been a quiet teenager who spent most of his time alone in his room.

Speaking to DailyMail.com from San Antonio, 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.'

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There were 288 school shootings in the US between 2009 and 2018, the highest number in the world. Mexico was second with eight school shootings in the same time.  

However, school mass shootings haven't only happened in the US. Two of the worst school shootings in the last decade happened outside of America.

In 2014 six terrorists opened fire at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 149 people including 132 schoolchildren, and injuring 114 others.

Just a year later militant gunmen from Al-Qaeda offshoot Al-Shabaab shot dead 142 students, three soldiers and three police officers. The five gunmen also took more than 700 hostages.

Russia has also seen a high number of school mass shootings. In May 2021 seven eighth-grade schoolchildren and two teachers were murdered by a 19-year-old former student in Kazan, western Russia.

Just last month two small children and their teacher were shot dead with a double-barreled shotgun in a kindergarten in Veshkayma, western Russia, by a mentally ill 26-year-old man.

The National Rifle Association said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil. 

'On behalf of our members, we salute the courage of school officials, first responders and others who offered their support and services. 

'Although an investigation is underway and the facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal.'

It ended its statement with a confirmation its marquee Houston event will move forward despite the recent tragedy.

 'As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.'

On the day of the shooting, many relatives and friends of the victims faced hours of anguished waiting to find out what happened to their loved ones.

Volunteer psychologist Iveth Pacheco traveled from San Antonio to provide support to those in need.

'It's one of those situations where you just have to be present,' she said. 'We have to be ready for the child whatever questions they have and it's the same thing with the adults right now.'

Tuesday's violence began when Ramos shot and critically wounded his grandmother at her home in Uvalde, where he had reportedly been living for several months after domestic problems in his mother's home across town.

The grandmother was airlifted to a hospital and was still clinging to life on Wednesday.

After shooting his grandmother, Ramos drove in a black Ford F-150 pickup truck the short distance to Robb Elementary, just half a mile away.

Veering wildly off the road, Ramos crashed the truck into a culvert behind the elementary school, according to officials and photos from the scene.

At 11.32am, the first 911 call came in reporting the vehicle crash, and saying a man with a gun was exiting the truck.

Ramos, wearing body armor, apparently left one of the rifles in the truck, and carried the other with him towards the school, along with a backpack full of ammunition.

Investigators say that Ramos dropped the backpack near an entrance to the school, and that it contained seven 30-round magazines. It's unclear whether the magazines held live ammunition.

Police told news station KENS 5 that Ramos exchanged gunfire with police as he stormed into the school, but ultimately cops were unable to prevent him from gaining entry. 

Texas DPS Director said a school resource officer 'confronted', but did not 'engage' the gunman as he entered the school.  

'The suspect made entry into the school and as soon as he made entry into the school he started shooting children, teachers, whoever's in his way,' Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez told the station. 

Frustrated parents considered storming school themselves 

Frantic parents of the children murdered in their Texas school screamed at law enforcement officers to enter the school and discussed storming the building to rescue their kids, as it emerged that the gunman was only stopped when authorities obtained a key to open the classroom door. 

The first 911 call was received at 11:32am on Tuesday, and the gunman was killed at 1pm - after a Border Patrol agent was given a key to the door, behind which the gunman was barricaded with the fourth grade class.

Javier Cazares, whose fourth grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, said he raced to the school when he heard about the shooting, arriving while police were still gathered outside the building.

Upset that police were not moving in, he raised the idea of charging into the school with several other bystanders.

'Let's just rush in because the cops aren't doing anything like they are supposed to,' he said.

'More could have been done. They were unprepared.'

He added: 'There was at least 40 lawmen armed to the teeth but didn't do a darn thing until it was far too late.

'The situation could've been over quick if they had better tactical training, and we as a community witnessed it firsthand.'

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'He was shooting everybody,' the state official said.

Olivarez told CNN that the shooter barricade himself inside of a single classroom, and that it is inside that classroom where most or all of the 19 children and two teachers were killed. 

The children killed were believed to be third and fourth grade students. Robb Elementary serves grades two through four, officials said.

Police and state troopers arrived in time to hear gunshots inside a classroom where the man barricaded himself and began shooting children and teachers. 

Olivarez said some of the officers were shot by the gunman, so others began breaking windows around the school trying to evacuate children and teachers. 

Meanwhile, a nearby Customs and Border Protection tactical unit responded to provide backup.

Olivarez said 'tactical law enforcement' forced their way into the classroom, where 'they were met with gunfire as well but they were able to shoot and kill that suspect.' 

The unnamed agent who shot and killed Ramos is believed to be from the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), which has specialized agents dispersed throughout the United States. 

The BORTAC agent, whose identity has not yet been revealed, rushed into the school without waiting for backup.

Ramos was behind a barricade, returning fire, but the border patrol agent managed to shoot and kill the gunman before he could claim more victims.

'They came in from opposite sides. The BORTAC agent ended up exchanging gunfire with the shooter, killed the shooter, and I am told that the agent was injured in his leg,' reported Fox News.

'They are trying to figure out if he was shot in the leg or hit by shrapnel.'

More than a dozen children were also hurt in the attack, including a ten-year-old girl taken to hospital in the nearby city of San Antonio in critical condition. A 66-year-old woman - believed to be Ramos's grandmother who he shot at the start of his killing spree - was in the same hospital, also in critical.

A second hospital within Uvalde itself said 13 children had been brought to them, without saying what condition they are in. Police warned late Tuesday that the death toll is expected to rise.