The grandmother of Texas elementary school shooter Salvador Ramos may never be able to talk again after being shot in her face, one of the cousins revealed on Sunday. Celia 'Sally' Gonzalez was shot in her face by Ramos on Tuesday before he went on his carnage at Robb Elementary School, killing 19 students and two teachers.
The cousin has revealed that the bullet hit Gonzales at a vital point in her face that has damaged her nerves which will is likely to take away her speaking ability. However, Gonzales is recovering from her injuries but it will take a long time for her to get fit and return home as she has to undergo a series of surgeries.
Robbing Her Speech
Jason Ybarra, 45, a second cousin of injured granny Gonzales, 66, said on Sunday that Ramos' attack on his grandmother has left her in a serious condition and she might never be able to speak again. "The bullet went into Sally's jaw just next to her mouth and shattered all her teeth," Ybarra said.
He also said that the bullet fired by Ramos narrowly missed Gonzales' head or she would have been dead. "If the bullet was an inch in another direction, it would have blown her head off," he said.
"She's doing fairly well, considering what happened. But she may never be able to talk again," said Ybarra.
Gonzalez was the first victim of Ramos. He shot her in the face on the morning of May 24, fracturing her teeth and jaw and narrowly missed her head. Gonzalez's husband, Rolando Reyes, stated she was 'awake' but in pain in an interview with the NY Post on May 27.
Gonzalez, according to Ybarra, can only converse in writing for the time being. "She had a notebook where she writes what she's trying to say, but when we can't make it out, she gets frustrated," Reyes said.
Ruthless Grandson
Ramos had been living with his grandparents in the months leading to the incident. Gonzalez has had four major operations since the incident last Tuesday and is facing several more, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Gonzalez's daughter, Natalie Salazar.
Gonzalez will not be able to return home for months, according to the plea for donations. In the aftermath of Ramos shooting Gonzales, Salazar wrote: "My mom was shot in the face and left to die alone in her home by her very own grandson. It was by the grace of God that she was able to get up off the floor and walk to a neighbor's home and ask for help."
According to police, Ramos first fought with his grandmother over an inflated mobile phone bill and then argued with her for failing graduation. The argument took a wild turn and Ramos who Gonzales in the face with his AR-15 rifle that he had bought around his birthday a May 18.
Ramos shared a series of chats with a 15-year-old girl from Germany, according to a Facebook spokeswoman, in which the shooter revealed his plans to shoot Gonzalez and open fire at Robb Elementary.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott told the media: "Anyone who shoots his grandmother in the face has to have evil in his heart. But it is far more evil for someone to gun down little kids."
Ramos is said to have had a tense relationship with his mother, which she rejects. His mother, Adrianna Reyes, earlier told CNN in an interview: "I only want the innocent children who died to forgive me. Forgive me, forgive my son. I know he had his reasons."
