Rep. Paul Gosar was amongst these spreading a baseless rumor that the shooter liable for the bloodbath at an elementary college in Uvalde, Texas, was transgender.

The Arizona Republican stated of the shooter in a tweet: "It is a transsexual leftist unlawful alien named Salvatore Ramos." The tweet was deleted about two hours after being posted on Tuesday, in keeping with Insider.

As of early Tuesday, Gosar had not commented on the deleted tweet. His workplace and Twitter have been contacted for remark.

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar. Inset of Salvador Ramos, 18, who shot his grandmother earlier than going to Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvaldegetty/Texas Division of Public Security

The declare that Ramos was transgender is spreading quickly on-line, together with pictures that seem to have been taken from a Reddit account belonging to a transgender individual.

"It is not me, I do not even reside in Texas," the individual utilizing that account has since written on Reddit. Within the feedback, they wrote that "they only took my pictures and used it to unfold misinformation." The consumer has been contacted for additional remark.

Plenty of tweets repeating the misinformation seem to have been taken down by Twitter, however many stay.

"These pictures are unconfirmed & unverified," Andy Ngo tweeted. "Please cease sharing them as a result of within the occasion they don't seem to be Ramos, you are harming somebody who had nothing to do with the taking pictures."

Christina Pushaw, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary, added that "among the pics of trans folks they're posting are clearly not Ramos."

Newsweek's reality verify workforce has regarded into the substance and sources of claims about Ramos, in addition to how they've proliferated on social media.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recognized Ramos—an 18-year-old resident of Uvalde— because the gunman who opened fireplace at Robb Elementary Faculty on Tuesday.

Earlier than heading to the varsity, authorities say he shot his grandmother with two military-style rifles he bought on his 18th birthday. The lady survived and is being handled in hospital, however her situation was not recognized.

Ramos crashed his automobile exterior the varsity at round 11:30 a.m. and two native law enforcement officials have been wounded as they exchanged gunfire with the shooter, officers stated.

Officers speak together outside of Robb Elementary
Regulation enforcement officers communicate exterior of Robb Elementary Faculty following the mass taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas on Might 24, 2022.Brandon Bell/Getty Photos

A Border Patrol agent who was working close by rushed into the varsity with out ready for backup and shot and killed the gunman, a legislation enforcement supply stated. The agent was wounded however capable of stroll out of the varsity, the supply stated.

Ramos reportedly posted footage of assault rifles and an ammunition journal to his Instagram account. A supply confirmed to Newsweekthat Instagram's guardian firm Meta deleted the account after Abbott recognized Ramos because the shooter.

Not less than 19 kids and two adults have been killed in Tuesday's taking pictures, making it the deadliest college taking pictures within the U.S. since a gunman killed 20 kids and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.

And it got here simply 10 days after a lethal rampage at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, the place a gunman predominantly focused Black folks in what authorities stated was a hate crime.

Replace 5/25/22, 9:10 a.m. ET: This text has been up to date so as to add a hyperlink to Newsweek's reality verify concerning the shooter.