Nineteen police officers were in a hallway at a Texas primary school for more than 45 minutes before agents used a master key to open a door and confront the gunman responsible for the second-deadliest school shooting in a decade, authorities said on Friday.
The on-site commander believed the gunman was barricaded in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde during Tuesday’s attack and that the children were not at risk, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said at a news conference.
“Of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision,” Mr McCraw said about officers not confronting the killer, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, earlier in the incident.
"From what we know, we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can," he added. "If I thought it would help, I'd apologise."
Police are facing severe criticism over their apparently botched response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers on Tuesday.
Survivors, including children, were calling emergency services from the classroom long after Ramos had entered with an AR-15 semi-automatic-style rifle, while police officers standing in the hallway outside the room were waiting for backup and tactical gear, Mr McCraw said.
He said the on-scene commander believed at the time the suspect was barricaded alone in the classroom — and that the gunman's initial shooting spree had left no survivors.
However, Mr McCraw said, someone called 911 a number of times starting at 12.03pm, telling police in a whisper that there were several dead and that there were still “eight to nine” pupils alive.
One child told an emergency services operator: “Please send the police now.”
Officers did not go into the classroom until 12.50pm, Mr McCraw said.
US Border Patrol agents eventually used a master key to open the locked door of the classroom where they confronted and killed the gunman, he said.
A New York Times report on Friday said the Border Patrol tactical team was told to hold back from entering the school, after arriving on the scene shortly after 12pm.
"I'm not defending anything, but you go back in the timeline, there was a barrage, hundreds of rounds were pumped in in four minutes, OK, into those two classrooms," Mr McCraw said.
"Any firing afterwards was sporadic and it was at the door. So, the belief is that there may not be anybody living anymore and that the subject is now trying to keep law enforcement at bay or entice them to come in to suicide by contact."
The attack is the deadliest school shooting in the US since Sandy Hook, Connecticut, where 26 pupils and faculty members were killed.
It is the deadliest school shooting in Texan history.
Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference on Friday to discuss state benefits for anyone affected by the shooting and addressed a few questions about the police response.
"I was misled," he said, referring to a briefing he gave earlier with inaccurate information. "I am livid about what happened.
"Those are families whose lives have been destroyed. They need answers that are accurate and it is inexcusable that they may have suffered from any inaccurate information whatsoever."
Agencies contributed to this report
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
