The Associated Press reported last night that parents of students in Uvalde, Texas are unhappy with the police response to the massacre and at one point were begging the cops to storm the school:
Onlookers urged police to charge into the Texas grade school where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers, a witness says. The rampage lasted upwards of 40 minutes, ending when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team. https://t.co/Q11bo5eR6j
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2022
From the AP:
Frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the Texas elementary school where a gunman’s rampage killed 19 children and two teachers, witnesses said Wednesday, as investigators worked to track the massacre that lasted upwards of 40 minutes and ended when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team.
“Go in there! Go in there!” nearby women shouted at the officers soon after the attack began, said Juan Carranza, 24, who saw the scene from outside his house, across the street from Robb Elementary School in the close-knit town of Uvalde. Carranza said the officers did not go in.
Another parent told the AP, “Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to”:
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
There’s video from outside the school that’s now going viral:
“Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to,” said Javier Cazares, whose daughter was killed in the 40-minute #RobbElementary school massacre in #Uvalde
This footage shows armed police pinning one man to the ground pic.twitter.com/3rUkeFqAX2 https://t.co/w7D3G3666J
— Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) May 26, 2022
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Reporter Saagar Enjeti is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate:
“It is increasingly clear this is a scandal of epic proportions” and “[t]he lies are mounting and the situation is becoming very clear”:
It is increasingly clear this is a scandal of epic proportions. @GregAbbott_TX and @KenPaxtonTX must launch an immediate and actual investigation into Texas DPS, Uvalde PD, and all other responding LE agencies. The lies are mounting and the situation is becoming very clear https://t.co/dW6YcHHihc
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) May 26, 2022
And it appears the shooter wasn’t “pinned down” in the classroom but had actually locked himself inside:
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
According to the AP, the Border Patrol tactical team couldn’t break down the door and they had to get a key from the school staff:
According to officials:
– the shooter went in a classroom and locked the door
– police on scene left him in there
– when border patrol showed up they couldn’t break down the door
– after 40-60m they got a member of the school staff to unlock it with a key https://t.co/0V1JJOkY2B pic.twitter.com/Dwt0vGfKtQ— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) May 26, 2022
“A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said the Border Patrol agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key”:
"A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said the Border Patrol agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key"https://t.co/e1CaJajLsF
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) May 26, 2022
There’s also a report that some of the police officers on the scene had their own kids in the school and were getting them to safety first:
"There was some police officers, families trying to get their children out of the school because it was an active shooter situation" https://t.co/T9ghkaRLbt
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) May 26, 2022
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