Nineteen children and two teachers were shot dead before the perpetrator could be confronted and killed by the police.
The nearly 80-page report is the first to criticize not only local authorities in Uvalde, but also state and federal police authorities for inaction during the May 24 drama. It was produced by the Texas House of Representatives and handed over to relatives of the victims on Sunday.
– It’s a joke. They’re a joke. They are not worthy of the badge, says Vincent Salazar, whose granddaughter Layla Salazar was murdered in the act, regarding the police.
Seems to be waiting on video
The majority of the 376 police officers on site belonged to federal or state authorities.
As a direct result of the report, the police chief who was on duty that day, Mariano Pargas, has been suspended. According to Mayor Don McLaughlin, an investigation should show whether the police chief should have taken control of the situation.
“No one has acted with malicious intent or malice. Instead, we have found system errors and extremely poor decision-making,” the report said, based on interviews with more than 40 police officers and witnesses.
Recently, a video was published from a surveillance camera where police officers are seen waiting near the classroom where the act was carried out. Demands are growing that the police will be held accountable for the failed operation. Citizens of the small town of Uvalde call the police operation at Robb Elementary School “cowardly”.
73 minutes
It took 73 minutes from the time the first police officers were on the scene until the perpetrator was dead. An “unacceptably long period of time”, according to the report.
Among other things, one of the task forces involved must have been waiting for a bulletproof shield. A lot of time was also spent looking for a master key, without anyone checking if the door to the classroom where the shooter was was actually locked.
The report criticizes the police for having acted “carelessly”. The conclusion is that some police officers waited due to lack of information, while others “had enough information to know better”.