Passers-by urged the police to enter
UVALDE, Texas — A Texas law enforcement officer sought to reassure the public Thursday that immediate efforts were made to arrest the shooter in the school shooting where 19 children and two teachers were killed. were killed as complaints surfaced of a delay in action.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, first fired at Robb Elementary School from the parking lot before entering “unobstructed” at 11:40 a.m. through an apparently unlocked door, regional director Victor Escalon of the Department of South Texas. of public safety, said at a press conference.
Four minutes later, Escalon said, local police arrived.
“They hear gunshots, they circle, they back up, take cover and all the while they approach where the suspect is,” Escalon said, adding that the shooter entered. in a classroom at the time as officers asked for additional help.
While waiting for reinforcements, Escalon said officers evacuated students and teachers while the shooter barricaded himself in a fourth grade classroom. According to some reports, all the victims were shot in this room. Escalon did not respond to a question about why police could not break through.
As the drama unfolded, some community members outside the school urged the police to charge. ” Go for it ! Go for it ! women screamed after the attack began, said Juan Carranza, 24, who saw the scene from outside his home. Officers did not immediately enter the building, he said.
Most of the victims were said to have been shot in the first minutes of the carnage
Most, if not all, of the victims were shot within minutes of the shooter’s arrival at the school, according to the Texas law enforcement timeline obtained by The New York Times. The timeline also indicates that early reports that the shooter initially exchanged gunfire with an officer outside the school are incorrect. The Times, which said the timeline was described by someone familiar with the investigation, said the officer was in fact in a nearby car and rushed to the scene after the first arrived. calls to 911.
When the officer arrived at the school, the shooter was already approaching, began shooting at the school and entered, according to the Times. Within minutes, more law enforcement officers arrived and two members of the Uvalde Police Department entered the school. The shooter had already entered a pair of adjoining classrooms and was shooting, according to the timeline. The two officers attempted to enter, were shot and retreated as gunfire continued inside the classroom, according to the Times.
One shooter was shot 40 minutes or more after the attack began
Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said a Border Patrol tactical team shot the shooter 40 minutes to an hour after shooting a school security guard, though the department said later said he could not estimate how long the shooter was in the school.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Border Patrol agents who rushed to the school had difficulty opening the classroom door, eventually getting a member staff opens the room with a key. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.
“The bottom line is that law enforcement was there,” McCraw said. “They engaged immediately. They contained (the shooter) in the classroom.”
Texas officials are reviewing the law enforcement response. Sources familiar with the investigation said the examination was routine after a major incident, but escalated in this case due to differing accounts from neighbors and witnesses of what the police did and when. Authorities are also awaiting final evidence collection from the scene and ballistics analysis.
DID THE POLICE RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH? : Texas officials investigate efforts to arrest gunman at Uvalde school
‘THE CONSTANT FEAR’:It’s not just Uvalde, Texas – shootings on school grounds are at an all-time high in the US
High school graduation ceremonies postponed
School officials announced Thursday that they had canceled the high school graduation ceremony scheduled for Friday night at Honey Bowl Stadium. In a statement, the Consolidated Independent District of Uvalde did not say when the graduation would be postponed. “Out of the deepest respect for the families and our community impacted by the tragedy we experienced, the Uvalde High School graduation ceremony has been postponed,” the statement read. “This is a difficult time for everyone. Please keep all families in your prayers.
Thursday was supposed to be the last day of classes in the district, but they were cut short after the shooting. On Thursday, authorities were instead distributing snack kits to families whose children usually receive meals at school.
Mother says her son ‘is not a monster’
Adriana Reyes, the mother of shooter Salvador Ramos, 18, told ABC News her son was “not a freak” but could be “aggressive”. Reyes said she was unaware that her son purchased two rifles and hundreds of cartridges in the week before Tuesday’s murderous rampage. She last saw her son on his birthday, May 16, she said.
“We all have rage, some people have it more than others,” Reyes told ABC.
She expressed her sympathy for the victims.
“These kids…I have no words,” Reyes said. “I don’t know what to say about those poor kids.”
Reyes told Britain’s Daily Mail that Ramos was left alone and had few friends. The shooter’s grandfather, Rolando Reyes, told the Daily Mail that his grandson had not completed high school.
“You would try to tell her, but kids today think they know everything,” he said.
“Hearts are forever broken”
Grieving residents tried to come to terms with the unimaginable loss and comfort their friends and neighbors. In Uvalde, a South Texas town of 16,000, almost everyone knew of a family affected by the bloodshed — directly or indirectly. In addition to the 21 who were killed in the attack, 17 were injured.
“To say the least, Uvalde has been deeply shaken,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference Wednesday at Uvalde High School. “Families are broken. Hearts are forever broken and all Texans mourn with the people of Uvalde.”
HOW DID IT HAPPEN:Timeline of Texas elementary school shooting, deadliest since Sandy Hook
Beto O’Rourke challenges Governor Abbott
During the press conference, Abbott said the shooter sent messages on social media about his intentions half an hour before the rampage. Shortly after the revelation, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke confronted the governor, accusing him of “doing nothing” about the gun violence.
Before being escorted away, O’Rourke said: “It’s up to you until you choose to do something different. It will continue to happen. Someone has to stand up for the children of this state. , otherwise they will continue to be killed, just as they were killed in Uvalde yesterday.”
What do we know about the victims of the Texas school shooting?
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting, said Lt. Chris Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, one of several responding to the scene, shot and killed the shooter, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told USA TODAY on Tuesday evening.
All the children were in fourth grade. The two longtime teachers have been identified as Eva Mireles and Irma Garcia.
Audrey Garcia, a parent of one of Mireles’ former students, thanked the teacher for supporting her daughter Gabby, now 23, when she was in third grade. In a tribute on Twitter, Garcia called Mireles “a beautiful person and dedicated teacher.”
“There are no words,” she wrote. Learn more here.
BLOOD EFFECT FROM SANDY HOOK:The shooting at a school in Uvalde is one of the deadliest attacks in the past 10 years
The gunsmith attracts attention – the shooter from Uvalde bought one of his guns
Gunmaker Daniel Defense, which saw sales soar after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, is under scrutiny after the Texas shooting because that the shooter bought one of the company’s rifles and brought it to the attack on Tuesday.
Although Daniel Defense is largely protected from civil liability by the Lawful Arms Trade Protection Act 2005, that cover has been breached and the company could face years of costly litigation, not to mention the backlash of the audience.
The families of the Sandy Hook victims successfully sued Remington, the producer of the Bushmaster XM15-E2S semi-automatic rifle used in the assault. In February, the arms maker agreed to a $73 million settlement in the case, which was based on marketing materials aimed at young men suggesting proof of masculinity and fears that your ‘man card’ could be revoked . Daniel Defense’s marketing and emphasis on “tactical” and combat gear could invite civil action.
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Schools on alert across the country
Schools across the country have tightened security as a precaution. Schools in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Virginia, Maryland and Florida were among those offering guidance.
In Connecticut, where 20 first-graders and six educators were killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, state police said they sent additional troops to schools on Wednesday, though no specific threats were made. received.
“This assault on the most innocent of our citizens is deeply disturbing and heartbreaking,” State Police Col. Stavros Mellekas said in a statement. “For now, our focus will be on protecting all school populations here in our state.”
COMMUNITY IN NEED:Here’s how you can help those affected by the Texas school shooting in Uvalde
Contributor: Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
USA Today
