TEXAS: The gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas school had written on social media that he would carry out the attack, BBC reported.

Facebook’s owner Meta said the 18-year-old suspect’s messages were sent privately on the platform, it said.

The attack happened on Tuesday at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, around 80 miles (129km) west of San Antonio.

The attacker does not appear to have had a criminal record or a history of mental health problems, Texas Governor Greg Abbott says, according to BBC.

Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke was ejected from the briefing after confronting Abbott on gun laws.

President Biden says he will travel to Texas in the coming days, as he called for gun control: “It’s time for action”.

The shooting victims were aged between seven and 10. Teachers Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia also died in the attack.

(Inputs from BBC)