Texas official admits mistakes in elementary school shooting

Colonel Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, speaks at a press conference in Uvalde, Texas, USA on May 27 – Photo: CNN

On May 27, McCraw cried at a news conference in Uvalde, Texas, when he said there was “no excuse” for the trained police officers’ decision not to intervene earlier. The Guardian news.

At noon on May 24 (US time), gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, stormed into Robb Elementary School with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and killed 19 students and two teachers.

According to Mr. McCraw, the field commander at the time perceived the situation incorrectly, leading to the wrong decision to wait outside in the hallway instead of storming into the classroom earlier. McCraw did not name the commander.

According to Reuters news agency, about 20 police officers waited outside in the hallway for nearly an hour before storming into the classroom and killing the gunman Ramos. The scene commander at the time said that the gunman had set up a barricade inside the classroom and that the students were temporarily not in danger.

“It was the wrong decision,” said director McCraw.

Students run to safety after exiting the classroom through a window at Robb Elementary School, Texas, US on May 24 – Photo: REUTERS

At least 17 other people were injured in the shooting, while all the victims were inside a classroom.

The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety said there were a number of 9 to 10 year olds trapped with the gunman who survived the massacre. Among these were at least two students who repeatedly called 911 to ask for police intervention.

According to Mr. McCraw, there were at least eight calls between 12:3 a.m. (half an hour after Ramos entered the school) and 12:50 p.m. on May 24, when police stormed the classroom and killed the gunman.

McCraw is not sure if officers at the scene were aware of the calls at the time.

“He’s in room 112,” a girl whispered over the phone at 12:3 a.m. on May 24, more than 45 minutes before police stormed in and ended their siege. The girl then called back and asked for “the police to come” at 12:43, and called again 4 minutes later.

A young girl called 911 at 12.16pm and told police there were still “eight to nine” students alive. Three gunshots were heard during a call at 12:21.

Mr McCraw said police stormed the classroom three minutes after the last call when officers used the janitor’s key to open the classroom door.

“We are here to report the facts, not to defend what was done or the actions taken,” McCraw said at a news conference.

Several videos appeared on social media on May 26 showing many impatient parents waiting outside the school urging police to rush in while the shooting was taking place.

According to Reuters, investigators are still figuring out the motive for the attack. Ramos, a high school dropout, has no criminal record and no history of mental illness.