Police in Uvalde had rifles earlier than known

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jun 2022 12:14

The repercussions of security forces not acting fast enough during the Uvalde mass shooting continue to unfold.

Police in Uvalde had rifles earlier than known: Report

Armed police officers stood in a school hallway for nearly an hour as a gunman cold bloodedly shot 19 elementary students and two teachers, according to a Monday news report that highlighted the failed security system.

According to papers seen by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV, the cops with greater ammunition and tactical equipment were on campus 19 minutes after the gunman arrived, which was earlier than previously acknowledged.

The revelation, which did not specify the source of the records, adds to the sorrow and raises concerns about why police did not intervene sooner to halt the May 24 massacre in the Robb Elementary School classroom.

On Tuesday, the information will be presented during a public Texas Senate session in Austin. According to investigators, the latest information reveals that officers had more than enough weaponry and protection to take down the gunman long before they did.

The sequence published by the American-Statesman and KVUE from the records showed the 18-year-old gunman calmly entering a rear door at 11:33 am, walking to a classroom, and instantly spraying gunfire before barricading himself. According to the reports, a video showed 11 officers entering the school three minutes later.

According to the sites, school district police Chief Pete Arredondo called the Uvalde Police Department landline and reported that their suspect had "fired a lot" with an AR-15-style weapon and outgunned the cops at the school, who he said were only armed with pistols.

What happened?

A body camera footage captured the sound of another gunshot four minutes later, at 11:44 am. The first ballistic shield arrived at 11:52 am, as officers grew impatient to act. According to the publications, Arredondo struggled to find a key to the classroom door despite the fact that no one is thought to have attempted to unlock the door.

Another officer with a ballistic shield arrived at 12:03 pm, followed by another two minutes later. Arredondo is heard musing aloud, about 30 minutes before authorities finally broke down the classroom door at 12:50 pm, if the gunman may be shot through a window. According to the publications, Arredondo only told the tactical team members to breach the door when they were ready at 12:46 pm.

The San Antonio Express-News reported earlier this week that video security footage from the school did not show authorities attempting to unlock the door leading to the classrooms where the atrocity was taking place. According to the New York Times, two Uvalde city police officers informed a sheriff's deputy that they passed up a brief opportunity to fire the gunman while he was still outside the school because they were afraid of hitting children.

The federal, state, and municipal investigations into the massacre and its aftermath have focused on law enforcement response delays. The investigation of the law enforcement response began days after the massacre. Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said on May 27 that Arredondo made "the wrong decision" by not storming the classroom for more than 70 minutes, even while trapped fourth-graders in two classrooms desperately dialed 911 for assistance.

Arredondo later stated that he did not consider himself in command and assumed that someone else had taken command of the law enforcement response. Arredondo has refused multiple requests for comment from AP.

According to state police, the gunman entered through an outside door forced open by a teacher. A spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Tuesday, May 31, that the teacher closed the door after recognizing there was a gunman on campus, but it did not lock properly.

On June 2, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez stated that it was a "system failure" that school district police Chief Pete Arredondo did not hear the word of the screams for help from those inside Robb Elementary School on May 24 because he did not have two-way radio communication with city police.

“I want to know specifically who was receiving the 911 calls,” Gutierrez said during a news conference.

Members of the public, including relatives of those slain in the attack, addressed the Uvalde school board on Monday. They took turns criticizing the police response, as well as the school's overall security procedures.