- The sister of the Uvalde gunman declined to purchase firearms for her brother in 2021.
- Officials said on Friday said the sister "flatly refused" to buy him a gun, per the Independent.
- At least 19 children and two adults were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School this week.
The sister of the gunman who authorities say opened fire at an elementary in Uvalde, Texas declined to buy him firearms in 2021.
At a press conference on Friday, the Texas Department of Public Safety Director Colonel Steven McCraw said that he tried to get a weapon the year before, The Independent reported.
"We know that by his digital footprint that [the gunman] asked his sister to help him buy a gun, she flatly refused, that was in September 2021," McCraw said, per the outlet.
At least 19 children and two adults were killed after the gunman entered Robb Elementary School earlier this week. He was fatally shot by US Border Patrol tactical team at the scene.
Officials previously said that the gunman, who turned 18 on May 16, bought two weapons and ammunition just after his birthday. In Texas, individuals as young as 18 can purchase rifles.
Authorities said the gunman had 60 magazines during the attack, noting that he left 31 in a bag that he did not bring inside the elementary school, the Independent reported.
Last year, state Republicans made having a firearm easier, allowing those 21 and over to carry a handgun without a permit or training, Insider reported. Following the shooting, several politicians including President Joe Biden called for more restrictions on assault weapons.
"These kinds of mass shootings rarely happen elsewhere in the world. Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God's name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with it?"Biden said Tuesday.