On May 24, Salvador Ramos disrupted the peace of Uvalde, Texas, when he burst into Robb Elementary School and slaughtered 19 elementary school students and two teachers. The gunman was a local high school student with a handful of friends. He had just turned 18 when he legally purchased two assault rifles and ammo. Although Ramos had been shot following his rampage, many still question his reasons behind the horrific tragedy.
A way to understand what drove Robb Elementary School shooter Salvador Ramos to execute his evil actions is by taking a step back and looking into his background, particularly his family. It was recently discovered that both parents and the grandmother had criminal records.
Adriana Martinez and Salvador Ramos Sr., the shooter’s parents, had their own brushes with the law more than a decade ago. Meanwhile, His grandmother Cecilia “Sally” Martinez Gonzales, whom Ramos shot in the face before the school shooting, had a misdemeanor in 1993.
Ramos’ mother Martinez was charged with writing a bad check to a general store in Uvalde in 2003, around the time Ramos was born. However, records show that she was struggling financially back then, earning a $500 check a month at her job. She was also receiving $223 in public assistance and $269 in food stamps. Martinez pleaded guilty to the charge and had to pay a fine worth half her paycheck. Initially sentenced to 180 days in jail, she was instead placed on probation with 25 hours of community service.
In 2007, Martinez was charged with assault after she allegedly caused bodily harm to a family member. Although it was dismissed, she had to enroll in anger management counseling and pay nearly $2,000 to the County Attorney’s Office.
Salvador Ramos Sr. was charged with resisting arrest in 2000 after struggling with an officer and making a run for it. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 180 days in county jail. Eleven years later, Ramos Sr. had a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In 2012, he struck a man with a beer bottle and was ordered to stay away from the victim and submit to drug and alcohol testing.
Ramos Sr. pleaded no contest to the charge, which was dropped to a class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail but that he could do his time on weekends. Ramos Sr. also had to undergo a substance abuse treatment program.
Sally Gonzales was charged with an unspecified misdemeanor after an arrest in 1993. She was convicted and sentenced to a maximum of two years of probation. However, court records are unclear of what she did.
After getting shot in the face, Gonzales may never be able to talk again as a bullet went into her jaw, shattering all her teeth. While she is awake, Gonzales is in pain, according to her husband.
Ramos Sr. and Martinez have apologized for their son’s actions, and Ramos stated that his son should have just killed him instead. “I have no words to say. I don’t know what he was thinking,” said Martinez. “I only want the innocent children who died to forgive me. Forgive me, forgive my son. I know he had his reasons.”
