Leaked video shows police waiting long to confront Uvalde school shooter
Texas news sites have already aired surveillance video of the incident that occurred in Uvalde on May 24. The full video is set to be published this coming Sunday.
The Austin American-Statesman initially released condensed and edited versions of the film, which shows the aftermath of the shooting at Robb Elementary School and the gunman’s entrance inside the building at around the 18-minute mark.
However, the full video was ultimately shared by the media outlets.
“Both media outlets have elected to release that footage Tuesday to provide transparency to the community, showing what happened as officials waited to enter that classroom,”
Twenty-one people were slain in total; two educators and 19 students. Including the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, this is now the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and the second deadliest in the United States.
The suspect, dressed in all black and carrying a bag and a semiautomatic rifle, is seen entering the primary school on camera.
As soon as he entered, the shooter veered to the right down a corridor and into at least one classroom, where he opened fire.
A student may be seen on camera heading down the same hallway just seconds before the first shots were fired.
Media outlets obscured the child’s identity and face, but it is clear that he or she paused for a moment before turning and sprinting away.
At least seven police officers entered the building just minutes after the gunman had entered. There are shots of several of them sprinting to the classrooms.
After the gunman opened fire, however, the officers retreated toward the door.
Officers at Robb Elementary reportedly delayed more than an hour after the shooting began before entering the building. And the video clearly shows that to be the case, even if the shooter fired further shots at that time.
Several police officers can be seen walking the halls and conversing on their phones while they wait. They had plenty of weapons and protective gear.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was blamed by DPS for the breach because he was the commander on the scene.
Although Arredondo claimed the classroom door was locked, DPS found no proof of this and stated that no officer in the corridor made any attempt to unlock the door.
Defense Threat Reduction Director General Steven McCraw has described the police response as “an abject failure.”
On Tuesday, R-Lubbock state representative Dustin Burrows assured constituents that the full video would be made available to them and their families on Sunday. Burrows is the head of the House committee in Texas looking into the incident.
Though Burrows tweeted after the release of the footage, “while I am glad that a small portion is now available for the public, I do believe watching the entire segment of law enforcement’s response, or lack thereof, is also important.”
His action directly contradicts the directives given to the Texas Department of Public Safety by Uvalde District Attorney Christina Busbee.
Busbee had raised concerns about the government agency publishing the video.
McCraw expressed his displeasure that the tape had been released before the committee had intended.
“I am deeply disappointed this video was released before all of the families who were impacted that day and the community of Uvalde had the opportunity to view it as part of Chairman Dustin Burrows’ plan,” McCraw said in a statement. “Those most affected should have been among the first to see it. As I stated during my testimony before the Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans, this video provides horrifying evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary on May 24 was an abject failure. In law enforcement, when one officer fails, we all fail.”
The families of the victims have been pleading with local and state officials for answers ever since the incident.