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As America recovers from a shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, authorities have been criticized for waiting outside the building for more than an hour as the attack continued. The alleged gunman, 18-year-old high-schooler Salvador Ramos, killed 19 students and 2 teachers before police entered the premises and killed him.
According to People, Pete Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School district, prevented police officers from breaking into the school. A Texas police officer anonymously criticized Arredondo’s decision, telling People magazine that along with other officers, he wanted to disregard orders and enter the building. He believes the response times have tarnished the reputation of Texas authorities.
Response of Texas authorities
At a press conference concerning the massacre, the Department of Public Safety Director, Steven McCraw, explained the role of authorities throughout the course of events.
As per NBC, McCraw revealed that at 11:33 am, the gunman entered the school through a back door before firing at students and teachers. By 12:03 pm, 19 officers had entered the school hallways, but did not enter the classroom the gunman was in until 12:50 pm, when they received keys from a janitor.
At the press conference, McCraw also explained the reason behind Arredondo’s decision to wait so long before sending in officers. He said there was heavy gunfire as the gunman entered the classroom, but after this, the shots were largely “sporadic”.
With regards to Arredondo, McCraw said:
“He was convinced at the time that there was no more threat to the children and that the subject was barricaded and that they had time to organize.”
Speaking to People, anonymous officers described their frustration towards Arredondo’s decision, as they wanted to enter the classroom far earlier than they were permitted.
One officer said:
“There was almost a mutiny. We were like, ‘There’s a f---ing gunman in the school, we hear gunshots.”
He later added:
“We wanted to go in and save lives. It was the most frustrating situation of my entire career, We felt like cowards. It felt cowardly to stand off and let this punk, this kid, this 18-year-old a**hole just go in and do whatever he wanted to do.”
The officer went on to explain that many of the officers challenged Arredondo’s decision, however they realized it would be unwise to enter without a proper strategy from higher-placed officers. He said:
“We needed to have a plan, and the commander didn’t have a plan.”
The officer said that ultimately, him and his colleagues were helpless as they were forced to comply with orders. He further stated :
“Even if he had barricaded himself in, he had already shot at people. So why weren’t we in there doing what we should’ve done?’ I remember thinking ‘this is wrong.’ But there was nothing I could do.”
McCraw said that as the attack persisted, several children and teachers made calls to 911 for help.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the anonymous officer agreed that they could have done more, but believes that the accusations have falsely tarnished the relations of the Texas officers he works with. He added :
“It sucks that we look like we were cowards, because we weren’t cowards. But that’s nothing compared to the fact that little kids died and maybe we could’ve done something to save them.”
The criticism of Texas authorities
At the news conference, McCraw acknowledged that in retrospect, Texas authorities had mishandled the situation. He said that most officers wanted to neutralize the threat posed by the gunman, with only one commanding officer insisting that they were not yet prepared to do so.
McCraw said:
“From the benefit of where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision. It was a wrong decision. Period. There was no excuse for that. There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be done, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed more equipment and more officers.”
As per CBS, Texas Governor Greg Abbott claimed that he was provided misleading information about the attack as it unfolded, undermining his ability to make appropriate decisions. He too was informed that since the gunman was barricaded, he was not an active threat to students and teachers.
He said:
“The information that I was given turned out, in part, to be inaccurate. And I’m absolutely livid about that.”
He later added:
“My expectation is that the law enforcement leaders that are leading the investigations, which includes the Texas Rangers and the FBI, they get to the bottom of every fact with absolute certainty. There are people who deserve answers the most, and those are the families whose lives have been destroyed. They need answers that are accurate, and it is inexcusable that they may have suffered from any inaccurate information whatsoever.”
Online commenters also condemned Texas authorities for their slow response times, blaming them for the death of the victims.
As the investigation continues, the motivations of the alleged gunman have not yet been made clear. Authorities confirmed at the press conference that the attacker acted alone, as he has no established political or ideological links. The attack on the Texas elementary school is the deadliest school shooting since the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary in 2012.
