Eighteen students and a teacher have been killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in the US state of Texas.

Local authorities say the suspect is an 18-year-old high school student. He is believed to have been shot dead by police at the scene.

The incident took place around noon on Tuesday in the city of Uvalde.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, "What happened in Uvalde is a horrific tragedy that cannot be tolerated."

Police are investigating further details, including the suspect's motive.
The incident is the latest in a series of mass shootings in the United States this month.

On May 14, a white gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Eleven of the 13 people shot were Black. The suspect wore a video camera and livestreamed the attack.

The US Justice Department is investigating the incident as a racially motivated hate crime.

On May 15, a shooter opened fire at a California church popular with Taiwanese residents. One person was killed and five others were injured.

Investigative authorities believe the suspect acted out of anger over tensions between China and Taiwan.