Parents were seen in footage lining up to give DNA samples so as to help in the effort of identifying the remains of the 19 Texas elementary students killed by a lone gunman.
Per CNN, mothers and fathers stayed late into the night at a civic center to await news of their children on whether they had survived the massacre which took place at 11:32 AM (local time) on Tuesday, May 24. Some of the parents offered their DNA to help in identifying the victims.
According to Anayeli Ruiz, a journalist with KHOU 11 News Houston, parents were "going one by one" to get swabbed by authorities.
According to Interpol, DNA samples are often utilized to confirm the identities of victims in ordeals such as these - particularly in those where the remains are not easy to identify.
Niki Griswold, a reporter at the Austin Statesman, said that there were a number of families still waiting at the civic center for news about their children at around 9:40 PM in Texas.
"The agonized screams of family members are audible from the parking lot," Griswold tweeted.
There have been 21 confirmed deceased victims of the shooting at the Robb Elementary school in the town of Uvalde. At the time of writing, 19 children and two adults were killed in the massacre.
The gunman has been identified by police as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. He reportedly made his way inside the school with a handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle before "horrifically, incomprehensibly" opening fire, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of Police Pete Arredondo has said that the shooting took place at 11:32AM (local time) on Tuesday, May 24.
The teenager is also suspected of shooting his grandmother before entering the school. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Erick Estrada, she is in a critical condition.
According to reports, Ramos crashed a vehicle near the school before entering the elementary school. He was able to enter several classrooms during the rampage.
The gunman was shot dead by police, officials said. Two border agents were reportedly shot in an exchange with the gunman, but are now both in a stable condition.