The video published Tuesday by the Austin American-Statesman is a disturbing 80-minute record of what has been known for weeks about one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history: that heavily armed police officers, some armed with rifles and bulletproof vests shields, gathered in the corridor and waited for more than an hour before entering and stopping the May 24 killings. But the video, which until now had not been shown publicly, has again rattled Uvalde residents and redoubled calls in the small South Texas town for accountability and explanations that have been lacking — and sometimes inaccurate — in the seven weeks since the shooting. Hours after the video was posted, some residents at a Uvalde City Council meeting said they were unable to watch it. Jesus Rizo said officers who are paid with taxpayer dollars to protect people shouldn’t be “sitting there” when children were in danger. WATCHES | Excerpts from video obtained by the Austin American-Statesman:
Video shows police response during Uvalde, Texas school shooting
Edited video and audio of the hallway from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, released by the Texas-based Austin American-Statesman shows the gunman entering the school. It also shows how the police arrived later but remained in the corridor both during and after the shootings. WARNING: This video is disturbing and contains the sound of gunshots. “You could have saved some lives. You could have held someone’s hand as they died,” he said. “The parents could have seen them one last time as they were dying.” Others called for consequences for police and more information in an investigation marked by confusing statements that had to be retracted at times.
Parents demand answers
“Give these families some closure,” said Daniel Myers, a pastor in Uvalde and a family friend of one of the victims. An investigative committee led by Texas lawmakers earlier announced plans to show the video to Uvalde residents for the first time Sunday, in addition to sharing their findings after weeks of behind-closed-doors testimony from more than 40 witnesses. In this image from school surveillance video, the gunman is seen walking into Robb Elementary School holding a rifle before killing 19 children and two teachers. (Austin American-Statesman/Reuters) “This was the most unprofessional investigation or handling I’ve ever seen in my life,” Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told The Associated Press. “These families are being blindsided all the time.” Video from a hallway camera inside the school shows the gunman entering the building with an AR-15-style rifle and includes a 911 tape of a teacher screaming, “Get down! Get in your rooms! Get in your rooms!” Two police officers approach the classrooms moments after the gunman enters, then run back amid the sounds of gunfire. As the gunman first approaches the classrooms, a child whose image is blurred can be seen poking his head into a corner down the hall, then running back as gunshots ring out. Later, about 20 minutes before police burst into the room, the video shows a man wearing a vest that says “sheriff” using a wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispenser. The children’s screams are edited throughout the video. Police form up before moving into a classroom where the gunman was. (Austin American-Statesman/Reuters) Officials said the 77 minutes of footage set to be released this weekend does not contain images of children in the classroom. Dustin Burrows, a Republican leading the investigation, said after the Statesman published the video that “watching the full extent of the law enforcement response, or lack thereof, is also important.”
Questions remain about the law enforcement response
But the video alone doesn’t answer all the questions that remain — nearly two months later — about law enforcement’s response. Among them is how schools police Chief Pete Arredondo came to the forefront of the massive law enforcement response involving multiple local, state and federal agencies. State authorities named Arredondo as the commander at the scene and said his mistakes delayed police from killing the gunman. Arredondo, however, told the Texas Tribune that he did not consider himself responsible for the operations and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response. He did not have a police radio at the time of the shooting. Stephanie and Michael Chavez of San Antonio pay their respects at an impromptu memorial outside Robb Elementary School on May 25. (Nuri Vallbona/Reuters) The roles of on-scene officers from other agencies — including the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) — remain unclear. McLaughlin accused DPS of minimizing its involvement in the response and publishing inaccurate timelines. Last week, a review of the police response written by tactics experts and requested by DPS alleged that a Uvalde police officer had the opportunity to open fire on the gunman before he entered the school. McLaughlin said the account was inaccurate. “All they’re doing is piling up lost evidence on lost events and throwing it out there and seeing what sticks,” McLaughlin said. In a statement, DPS Director Steve McCraw said the video provides “horrifying evidence” that law enforcement’s response was a failure.
