The officers who entered the Texas elementary school where a gunman had barricaded himself and killed 21 people created their own ad hoc group and charged the classroom even as they received orders to stand down, according to a new accounting of the day’s events.
The group, which included members of Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a sheriff’s deputy, formed a makeshift response team in the hallway of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde amid growing frustrations of an unclear chain of command, an investigation of the police response by the New York Times found. One officer said they were done waiting for permission and that they charged toward the classroom door to take down the shooter, even as one of them received instructions in his radio earpiece not to breach.
UVALDE TEACHER SPOKE ON PHONE WITH POLICE OFFICER HUSBAND BEFORE SHE WAS KILLED
The latest developments reveal details of communication breakdowns and inadequate police practices carried out by law enforcement officials that may have caused unnecessary deaths and delayed medical treatment during last week’s mass shooting, experts told the outlet.
Within minutes of receiving reports of an active shooter on campus, Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was one of the first to arrive on the scene and could still hear gunshots inside the building, according to reports. Shortly after, two officers from the local police department were grazed by the gunman’s bullets, after which Arredondo made the decision to fall back and wait for backup.
The chief did not have a radio on his person when he first arrived on scene, according to people familiar with the investigation, which may have caused communication breakdowns between Arredondo and police dispatchers who were receiving calls from children inside the building.
Instead, Arredondo used his cellphone to call a police landline to tell dispatchers the gunman was using an AR-15 and that more officers were needed to surround the building before going inside, sources told the outlet. At that time, he also requested that a radio be brought to him as well as a rifle.
Police officers have been trained to confront active shooters immediately ever since the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. However, it appears Uvalde officers were told to stand back for at least an hour as they stood outside the school.
Officers from at least 14 different law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene but were instructed not to breach the building — even as they could hear gunfire inside and as children called 911 dispatchers saying their teachers and classmates were injured, officials told the outlet.
“There is a lot of bodies,” Khloie Torres, a 10-year-old student, told a 911 dispatcher, according to a transcript. “I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead, my teacher is dead. Please send help. Send help for my teacher — she is shot but still alive.”
Information presented by Texas officials has changed drastically over the past week as investigators continue to try to determine a motive and timeline.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack, and several more were wounded. The gunman has been identified as an 18-year-old who officials say legally purchased two AR-style rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. A member of the elite Border Patrol Tactical Unit, or BORTAC, has been credited with killing the shooter.
Uvalde, a town of roughly 16,000 people, is situated between San Antonio and Del Rio, just dozens of miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Inquiries into the shooting and police response are being carried out by state and federal investigators, with the Justice Department announcing a critical incident review Sunday.
