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As criticism of police reactions to the Texas school shooting last week escalates, Uwalde Mayor Don McLaughlin now says local law enforcement has not misled anyone and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said he was lied to. “They are not true.”
Immediately after the shooting, which killed 19 children and two adults, many Texas officials praised the reaction of law enforcement agencies to the tragedy.
“They showed incredible courage in running for the sole purpose of trying to save lives,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told a news conference in Uwalde with Lieutenant Patrick on Wednesday, about 24 hours after the shooting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, center, spoke at a primary school shooting conference with Uwalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, right, and Texas District Attorney in the 38th Judicial District, Christina Mitchell Busby, Friday, May 27, 2022. , in Uwald, Texas. (AP Photo / Dario Lopez-Mills)
This praise was quickly told later in the week when more details of the police response emerged, including that 19 police officers were at the primary school for about an hour before a border patrol team disrupted the classroom and killed the suspect.
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Lt. Gov. Patrick told Fox News on Saturday that choosing law enforcement not to confront the shooter immediately was “a bad decision and worth it.”
“No one mentioned the fact that there was this detention of 45 minutes to an hour by the school district police chief while they were still shooting,” Patrick said.
“I take it personally and I know the governor takes it personally. And for me, it’s 140 or 150 people killed in Texas in the last six or seven years of collective anger when we are not told the truth.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at a news conference in Uwalde, Texas, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. An 18-year-old gunman who slaughtered 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school barricaded himself in a classroom and “began to “Shoot anyone who gets in his way,” authorities said Wednesday, detailing the latest massacre that rocked the United States (AP Photo / Dario Lopez-Mills).
Uwalde School District Police Chief Pete Aredondo was the commander of the scene incident, who made the “wrong decision” not to confront the suspect immediately because he “believed he had gone from an active shooter to a barricaded site”, director of the “Texas public safety,” said Stephen McCrow.
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Uwalde Mayor Dan McLaughlin said Monday that local law enforcement has not misled Patrick or other officials.
“Local law enforcement agencies have not made public comments on the specifics of the investigation into the incident or [misled] everyone, “McLaughlin said in an email to Fox News Digital on Monday.
“Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s statements that he” did not tell the truth “are not true. All statements and comments made so far regarding the ongoing investigation are being processed by the DPS / Texas Rangers. “
Children flee to safety after fleeing a window during a mass shooting at Rob Elementary School, where a gunman killed nineteen children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas, USA, May 24, 2022. (Pete Luna / Uvalde Leader-News / Handout via REUTERS)
McLaughlin also appears to have stood up to the school’s police chief, saying Aredondo, who was elected to the city council earlier this month, could still be sworn in when the ceremony took place.
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Patrick said Monday that he is focused on supporting the mayor and the Uwalde community after the tragedy.
“My goal at this time is to support Mayor McLaughlin and the citizens of Uwalde. “The governor and I were outraged by the information that was originally provided to the Texas MRF,” Patrick told Fox News Digital on Monday night. “I think the mayor did an excellent job at a very difficult time and my focus is still on families.
Around the sign of Rob Elementary School is a monument after the mass shooting at Rob Elementary School on May 26, 2022 in Uwalde, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
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The justice ministry said on Sunday it was conducting an independent investigation into police reactions to the mayor’s request.
“The purpose of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses during that day and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help responders prepare, prepare for and respond to active shooting events. “, Said in a statement from DOJ.
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