Police Criticized Over Texas School Shooting Response

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas around 11:40 am, killing 21 people and left 17 injured. According to the Associated Press, the shooter was in the building for over an hour until being killed by US Border Patrol officers at 12:58 pm, but not before murdering two teachers and nineteen students between the ages of 9 and 11, all of whom were shot inside their classrooms.

In the days since, authorities and witnesses have been providing conflicting information on what happened during the tragedy, particularly concerning police response. Despite initially claiming a school resource officer "engaged" with the shooter outside the building, officials since clarified the timeline, placing the gunman at his grandmother's house, where he shot her before driving a truck into a ditch and walking into the school. They also stated that there was actually no school resource officer on campus at the time, per CNN.

UPDATE: For the second time, it appears the information initially provided by Texas law enforcement officials was wrong.

The shooter was not stopped by the first officer that encountered him. And he wasn't pinned down but rather appears to have locked himself in a classroom.

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) May 26, 2022

"He walked in unobstructed initially," Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Victor Escalon said, adding that no one "confronted" the shooter, who accessed the building through a door that was supposed to be locked. Escalon went on to say that officers arrived four minutes after the shooting began but weren't able to pursue the gunman, as he was also shooting at them. During that time, Escalon said officers were evacuating students and faculty members and calling for backup.

As news of the active shooting spread, worried parents gathering outside of the school and reportedly became angry with a perceived lack of police action. According to several parents speaking to The Wall Street Journal, officers then began handcuffing, tackling and pepper-spraying them after they begged them to do something.

Cops stood outside the school while the killer rampaged inside.

Onlookers yelled at them to go in. They didn’t. One parent urged bystanders:

“Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to.” @AP story: https://t.co/l2CqPCzmAf

— Andy Specht (@AndySpecht) May 26, 2022

Not only did cops with long guns have their tasers out, ready to stop parents from saving their own children, it looks like the cops have one parent pinned to the ground.

You can hear one person yell, "what the fuck are you doing to him? Let him up!" pic.twitter.com/zW5V9FJ2r0

— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) May 26, 2022

Making matters worse was a story told to local news reporters by a fourth-grade survivor, who said an officer instructed them to "'yell if you need help.'" However, a classmate's plea for help apparently attracted the attention of the gunman, who then "came in and shot her."

At least one additional kid died directly because the cops were incompetent.

“When the cops came, the cop said: 'Yell if you need help!' And one of the persons in my class said 'help.' The [shooter] overheard and he came in and shot her," the boy said. https://t.co/T89PC9ljcH pic.twitter.com/YMwah3X7ar

— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) May 26, 2022

In response to these reports, online commenters derided the police for their handling of the situation, alleged inaction and ineptitude, as well as the way they spread incorrect information in initial statements. Joining the chorus of frustrated critics was Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, who later issued a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for an investigation into police conduct during the shooting.

"The people of Uvalde, of Texas, and of the nation deserve an accurate account of what transpired. However, state officials have provided conflicting accounts that are at odds with those provided by witnesses," Castro wrote, before noting that there's a 90-minute block of time that has "yet to be fully accounted for."

"I urge the FBI to use its maximum authority to thoroughly examine the timeline of events and the law enforcement response and to produce a full, timely, and transparent report on your findings," he continued. "Your agency must ensure that the American people have a complete and comprehensive account of how this tragedy occurred."

Read Castro's statement below.

Read my full letter to @FBI Director Christopher Wray:https://t.co/VfcndXBaTT

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) May 26, 2022

Photo via Getty / Allison Dinner / AFP