Many law enforcement officials remain on the job a year after the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 students and two adults
The Washington Post reported that footage from the May 24, 2022, shooting in Uvalde uncovered at least seven responding officers who delayed confronting gunman Salvador Ramos, who was barricaded in an unlocked classroom with children. Despite this, all of them remain employed by their respective departments — with one being commended for their conduct that day.
Before the mass shooting, Ramos reportedly shot his grandmother, who had called 911 before Ramos traveled to the school. The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) wrote in their state report that a police officer sought to shoot Ramos as he carried a rifle outside of the school.
However, it took too long to get permission from his supervisor. Mayor Don McLaughlin has disputed those claims.
Previously, Texas Department of Public Safety director Colonel Steven McCraw called the response to the mass shooting an “abject failure” which he blamed on then-Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo. Arredondo was fired in August.
McCraw said Arredondo failed to promptly confront Ramos despite being the on-scene commander. McCraw said Arredondo had what he needed to breach the classroom where the gunman was within three minutes, but officers stayed in the hallway for 77 minutes.
Further, security footage reportedly showed that police never tried to open the classroom door — which may contradict Arredondo’s claims that he spent an hour in the hallway trying to locate a key that would open the door.
Video footage suggests that officers stood by after the initial gunfire, even as the gunman fired four additional rounds. Officers remained inactive even after asking for keys to a presumably unlocked classroom and gathering tear gas, gas masks, and a sledgehammer.
Further, security footage reportedly showed police never tried to open the classroom door — which would contradict Arredondo’s claims that he spent an hour in the hallway trying to locate a key that would open the door.
Various agencies responded to the scene, including Texas Rangers, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Marshals Service. Despite this, it was an hour and 14 minutes before anyone entered the classroom and fatally shot Ramos. By then, 21 people died in that classroom.
Arredondo told the media that he did not bring his two radios as he believed they would weigh him down. Arredondo reportedly used his phone to communicate during the shooting — but he said he stopped answering when he was bombarded with calls.
The Washington Post reported that four of the 200 officers who responded to the mass shooting have been fired. Two officers fired by the Department of Public Safety are still in law enforcement.
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Bottom, L-R: Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Uziyah Garcia, and Amerie Jo Garza]
