Police Defend Handling of Texas Elementary School Shooting

Police in Uvalde, Texas, have defended their handling of the school shooting in which 19 children and two teachers were killed in the face of mounting criticism from parents and local residents over the time taken to bring the massacre to an end.

In a press conference yesterday, Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Victor Escalon said that the window of about an hour in which the 18-year-old perpetrator Salvador Ramos was on the grounds of Robb Elementary School before he was killed by police was due to a wait for back-up officers and resources.

“During this time that they’re making those calls to bring in help to solve this problem and stop it immediately, they’re also evacuating . . . students, teachers,” Escalon said. “There’s a lot going on. A complex situation. They’re measuring, they’re measuring.”

According to a timeline provided by Escalon, Ramos is believed to have been inside the school building for at least three-quarters of an hour before being killed by Border Patrol agents.

Meanwhile, videos circulated on social media following the attack appeared to show officers restraining distraught parents who were urging them to go into the school while waiting for tactical support teams to arrive.

Escalon said he was aware of, but had not verified, such reports. Asked if any of the first responding officers should have gone in sooner or waited until the support arrived, he said: “That’s a tough question.”

*Financial Times