New surveillance video of officers leaving during shooting at Uvalde school
New surveillance footage has been released showing officers retreating from gunfire as the shooter continues to fire in the hallway of Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.
Here is everything you need to know.
New surveillance video of Uvalde shooting comes to light
The Austin American-Statesman newspaper recently published new footage of an 18-year-old boy walking into the school at 11:33 a.m. shortly after crashing his truck off the property.
He appears to be looking armed with his semi-automatic rifle in his hands. The shooter continues to walk down an empty hallway when a boy sees him opening fire in a classroom.
The teen fires dozens of rounds at the boys from the doorway before entering.
He then begins shooting outside the classroom, most likely at law enforcement officers. The police officers flee further from the area and retreat some distance.
They appear to be huddled at the end of the hallway waiting for backup. They don’t enter the classroom until 12:21 pm, when officers armed with semi-automatic weapons and ballistic shields arrive on the scene.
Regardless, the cops finally confront the killer at 12:50 p.m. when he is shot dead by a Border Patrol officer.
The video comes amid lingering outrage over the police response to the bloody massacre. It’s unclear what the officers were doing for an hour and 14 minutes after they arrived.
The shooting led to the loss of nineteen fourth graders and two teachers in the tragedy that took place on May 24 just days before the end of the school year.
Officials ‘disappointed’ by video release
Many families of the victims criticized the newspaper’s decision, as they were promised to see the images before they were made public.
Mayor Don McLaughlin told a council meeting that the paper’s actions were “one of the most cowardly things I’ve ever seen.”
He continued: “Some parts of the video should not have been released.”
The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) also expressed his disappointment at the leak of the clip.
DPS Director Steven McCraw issued a written statement sharing his views on the surveillance footage.
He wrote: ‘I am deeply disappointed that this video was released to all the families who were affected that day. The Uvalde community had the opportunity to see it as part of President Dustin Burrows’ plan.’
McCraw further added: “Those most affected should have been among the first to see it.”
