Boy, 11, shoots his teacher dead and wounds five pupils then kills himself at Mexican school

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES
José Ángel Ramos opened fire with two handguns at Miguel Cervantes School in Torreón, Coahuila
Ramos appeared to be dressed in the same clothes that Eric Harris, one of the teen killers, wore in the Columbine 1999 massacre
The 11-year-old was wearing black jeans, suspenders and a white t-shirt bearing the name of the first-person shooter video game 'Natural Selection' on the chest
María Medina, a 60-year-old teacher, was shot dead and five pupils and PE teacher were injured
The six wounded students and teacher were listed in stable condition as of Friday evening
Miguel Ángel Riquelme, governor of the state of Coahuila, said Ramos was apparently been influenced by a first-person shooter game, 'Natural Selection
Ramos reportedly told classmates before the attack: 'Today is the day'
Shocking photos of the murder scene were posted on social media

An 11-year-old boy who shot dead a teacher and wounded at least six others people before killing himself at a private school in northeast Mexico on Friday was possibly under the influence of a violent video game linked to the Columbine massacre, it has emerged.

Schoolboy José Ángel Ramos also appeared to be dressed in the same clothes one of the teen killers wore during the massacre.

According to authorities in the state of Coahulia, Ramos asked his sixth grade teacher, María Medina, for permission to go to the bathroom to change his pants about 8.20am local time.

Worried that the boy was taking too much time to return to class, Medina went looking for him and found him holding two guns in the middle of a hallway at Miguel Cervantes School in the municipality of Torreón.

Ramos was wearing a pair of black jeans, suspenders and a white t-shirt bearing the name of the first-person shooter video game 'Natural Selection' on the chest.

Columbine killer Eric Harris wore the same t-shirt when he and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher on April 20, 1999.
Boy shoots teacher dead and wounds pupils before killing himself

The youngster opened fire with two handguns, killing 60-year-old Medina. He then wounded five students – including two girls aged seven and eight.

Aldo Omar Saldivar, a 40-year-old PE teacher, was also shot.

He told authorities that he was in the school yard when he heard several shots. He went into the school to see what was going on and was shot when he tried to hide from Ramos.

The wounded victims were all listed in stable condition as of Friday evening.

Miguel Ángel Riquelme, governor of the state of Coahuila, said Ramos was apparently been influenced by a first-person shooter game, 'Natural Selection.' Riquelme said he believed the boy had tried to 'recreate' the game.

The governor said that the teacher was shot when she asked the pupil what he was doing with the gun.

'He was a student who had no problems, had good behavior, but he had warned some classmates by telling them: today is the day,' Riquelme said.

The video game is made by San Francisco-based company Unknown Worlds Entertainment, according to its website. The company did not reply to a request by Reuters for comment.

Distressed parents and pupils gather outside Miguel Cervantes School in Torreón, Mexico, today after an 11-year-old boy gunned down a teacher before killing himself

State governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme said the boy may have been influenced by video game Natural Selection - a violent game where human 'space marines' shoot aliens.

Family members rushed to Miguel Cervantes School to pick up their children after a shooting which left two dead and six wounded

Experts have long debated whether there is a link between violent video games and aggressive behavior.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims and said more needed to be done to strengthen family life and prevent such events from happening in future.

Though homicides have reached record levels in Mexico during the past two years, school shootings are unusual.

Ramos lived with his grandparents and his mother passed away a couple of years ago

Torreón mayor Jorge Zermeno called him a good student and said there were no previous warning signs of Ramos carrying out the tragic shooting.

Members of Civil Protection are seen at a private school after the shooting in Torreon, Mexico

Distressed parents and pupils gather outside Miguel Cervantes School in Torreón, Mexico, today after an 11-year-old boy gunned down a teacher before killing himself

'Although he must have had some sort of problem, the school say he was a normal boy with good marks and no outward signs of any behavioral issues,' Zermeno said. 'It's terrible that a youngster aged 11 can go into his school with two guns and do what he did.'

Guillermo Siller, medical director of the Sanatorio Español hospital where the injured are being treated said the children's families are receiving psychological support.'

Distressing photos from the scene showed the student's body next to that of his female teacher with a handgun on the floor between the boy's knees.

Police and paramedics raced to the scene as frantic families flocked to the school and gathered outside. Torreón is a city with around 679,000 residents.

Television images showed dozens of police and soldiers surrounding the school.

Though homicides have reached record levels in Mexico during the past two years, such school shootings are unusual.

In January of 2017 a student killed a teacher and himself and also wounded four classmates at the Northeast American School, a private institution in Monterrey.

A woman reacts after the shooting at a private school in Torreon, Mexico

File photo of Miguel Cervantes School in Torreón where a pupil shot dead his teacher before killing himself today

Daily Mail