The warning signs for events like the Uvalde shooting are always present, making the tragedies all the more devastating knowing that they could have been avoided.
According to CNN, Uvalde gunman, Salvador Ramos threatened to rape girls, showed off a rifle he purchased, and even threatened to shoot up schools in live streams on the Yubo social media app.
Unfortunately, teen app users told the outlet that they didn’t take him seriously until they heard that Ramos had shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school this week.
Three users told CNN that they saw the shooter threaten to commit sexual violence or school shootings on Yubo, an app used by tens of millions of young people worldwide. Those users all stated that they reported Ramos’ account to Yubo due to the threats, but Ramos was able to remain active on the platform.
The signs were not only present but also obvious. Ramos sent a user a $2,000 receipt for his online gun purchase from a Georgia-based firearm manufacturer, according to one Yubo direct message.
“Guns are boring,” said the user. “No,” Ramos replied.
“We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable loss and are fully cooperating with law enforcement on their investigation,” a Yubo spokesperson told CNN. “Yubo takes user safety seriously and is investigating an account that has since been banned from the platform.”
To make matters worse, Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales stated that the Uvalde gunman was arrested four years ago and revealed his plans to carry out exactly what he did earlier this week. According to reports, the then 14-year-old was arrested for saying, “When I’m a senior in 2022, I’m going to shoot up a school.”