Uvalde School Records Reveal Shooter’s Academic Decline, Behavioral Issues Before 2022 Attack

Newly released records from the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District provide a detailed look into the academic and disciplinary history of Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old who killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in 2022. Ramos began his education viewed as a motivated and bright student in kindergarten but experienced a significant decline by middle school, marked by multiple suspensions and write-ups for harassment, bullying, and poor academic performance. He withdrew from high school in October 2021 with failing grades and poor attendance, seven months before the shooting. The documents also include communications from the day of the attack, highlighting the delayed police response led by former Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo, who faces criminal charges related to the hesitation in confronting Ramos. The records align with prior investigations describing Ramos’ increasing isolation and struggles with bullying, poverty, and family instability. While the files offer few new revelations about the attack itself, they shed light on the shooter’s troubled background and the criticized law enforcement response.