Uvalde school shooting: New reports suggest officer missed chances to fire at gunman while waiting for permission

A report has been released by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center, which was examining the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde.

The report is concerned with law enforcement's response to an emergency call. As per this, there were several missed opportunities even before the start of the massacre to stop and get hold of the shooter. Police also missed multiple opportunities to take down the gunman.

The report provides a timeline of the incidents that unfolded on May 24, 2022. At 11:33 am, when the suspect, Salvador Ramos, was trying to enter the school building, an Uvalde police officer responding to the scene of the crash saw him carrying a rifle outside the West Hall entrance.

The officer, too, was armed with a rifle and allegedly asked his supervisor for permission to shoot at the suspect.

As per the report, his supervisor either did not hear the call for permission or responded too late. The officer turned to get confirmation but by the time he returned to face the suspect, Ramos had already entered the building.

Another police officer, the first to arrive on the scene, was speeding through the parking lot. The report stated that had the officer driven a little slower, he might’ve noticed the gunmen and acted before Ramos gained access to the school.

The assessment from Texas State University's Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training report reads:

"In this instance, the UPD officer would have heard gunshots and/or reports of gunshots and observed an individual approaching the school building armed with a rifle. A reasonable officer would conclude in this case, based upon the totality of the circumstances, that use of deadly force was warranted."

Ramos then exited the classroom, checked the hallway and re-entered classroom 111 just five seconds later. The report continues:

"The suspect then re-enters what appears to be classroom 111 and continues to fire what is estimated to be over 100 rounds by 11:36:04, according to audio analysis. During the shooting, the sounds of children screaming, and crying, could be heard."

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Actions of police questioned in Uvalde shooting

The shooting that happened on May 24 left 19 children and two teachers dead. Shooter Ramos was also shot down by the police. However, the delayed and flawed response by the police force of Uvalde was heavily criticized by the media and parents of the school children.

Pete Arredondo, Uvalde schools police chief, resigned from the city council a couple of days back.

As per the state police's law enforcement officials, he was the person most responsible for the flawed response to the emergency.

Residents of the city are also protesting against and criticizing the local police and city officials, whom they feel are responsible for the tragedy by failing to provide inadequate information about the shooting.