Authorities in Texas said Thursday afternoon that a gunman who killed 19 children and two primary school teachers this week entered the school unhindered. Victor Escalon, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uwalde through a door that was apparently unlocked.
The announcement came amid growing questions about how long it was before authorities stopped the riot. The motive for the massacre – the deadliest school shooting in the country since Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut, a decade ago – also remains under investigation, with authorities claiming 18-year-old Salvador Ramos had no known criminal or mental history.
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During the siege, which ended when a U.S. border patrol team stormed and shot the shooter to death, frustrated spectators called on police to raid the school, according to witnesses.
In a statement Thursday, Uwalde police chief Daniel Rodriguez said officers responded to the shooting “within minutes”. Escalon said local officials entered the school, were shot at and fled.
“I know words will never alleviate the pain we all suffer,” Rodriguez said, “but I hope you will join me to calm down, knowing that the pain comes from the fact that we all experience such deep love for all the victims who have been taken from us, those who are recovering, and those who only time and love will continue to heal. “
Victor Escalon, Regional Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, spoke to the press during a press conference at Rob Elementary School in Uwalde, Texas, May 26, 2022. Dario Lopez-Mills / AP
On Wednesday, Texas Public Safety Director Steve McCrow said it was 40 minutes to an hour from the time the attacker opened fire on a school security officer to the time the tactical team shot him. On Thursday, Escalon said the shooter did not face an officer before entering the school.
Investigators were reviewing videos inside and outside the school, Escalon said.
Before Tuesday’s attack, the attacker shot and wounded his grandmother in the home where they share. Escalon said on Thursday that she was alive and well.
The assailant then crashed his truck into a ditch in front of the school, grabbed his semi-automatic AR-15 rifle and shot two people in front of a funeral home, who escaped unharmed, Escalon said.
The assailant jumped over a fence and opened fire on the school from a parking lot. He then entered the school at 11:40 a.m. and fired “numerous rounds,” Escalon said.
“Four minutes later, the local police stations … are inside and coming in,” Escalon said. “They heard gunfire. They fired at each other. They withdrew, found cover and meanwhile approached the place where the suspect was.”
He said police officers did not initially enter the classroom where the shooter entered because he shot at them. Officers called for reinforcements and began evacuating the rest of the school.
“A lot is happening,” Escalon said.
Late Thursday afternoon, the White House announced that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden would visit Uwalde on Sunday “to mourn the community.” Details of Biden’s visit will be announced in the coming days, the White House said.
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