Texas officials: ‘No excuse for not tackling shooter’
The head of the Texas department of public safety has said “there’s no excuse” for officers not trying to break into an elementary school classroom where a gunman was killing 19 students and two teachers.
Steven McCraw was facing questions over law enforcement’s response to Tuesday’s shooting at Robb elementary, at a lunchtime briefing in Uvalde.
Reporters wanted to know why law enforcement officers waited outside for about an hour while the killing continued, and before a Swat team eventually breached the classroom and shot the killer dead.
Parents and locals pleaded with officers in vain to go in and end the massacre, even as the sound of gunshots was audible from outside.
“It was the wrong decision,” McCraw conceded.
“The on-scene commander at the time believed it had transitioned from an active shooter to a barricaded subject,” he said, adding the commander thought “there were no children at risk”.
“Obviously, based upon the information we [now] have, there were children in that classroom at risk”.
Asked about a “40-minute gap” in which 911 operators were aware children were alive, but officers still didn’t go in, he added:
The decision was made that this was a barricaded subject, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team … that was the decision, that was the thought process.
With the benefit of hindsight, of course it was not the right decision, it was the wrong decision. Period. There’s no excuse for that.
Governor Greg Abbott, who at the last minute canceled his scheduled appearance at the NRA’s convention, is speaking at a press conference now.
- He says there will be a mental health help line available for residents of Uvalde 24/7 at: 888-690-0799.
- He says an anonymous donor gave $175,000 to cover funeral costs.
- He says the mental health care services are available to “anyone in the community who needs it – the totality of anyone who lives in this community”.
- Every family impacted by the shooting has been assigned dan advocate to help them with their needs, he says, noting that includes airfare for travel for funerals and healthcare costs.
- He says people can make donations to support victims at onestarfoundation.org/uvalde.
Hi all – Sam Levin taking over our live coverage.
Senator Dick Durbin has announced that the Senate judiciary committee will hold a hearing on 15 June focused on gun violence and youth:
As we mourn those lost in the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, we face the reality that gun violence has now become the leading cause of death for American children & teens. Let that sink in.@JudiciaryDems will hold a hearing on June 15 focused on gun violence and kids. pic.twitter.com/bSCx7Srf9L
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) May 27, 2022
The Democrat noted that gun violence in 2020 became the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the US, overtaking car accidents. Durbin also lamented today that every single Senate Republican voted against his domestic terrorism prevention act.
More here on the relevant gun violence research from our earlier coverage:
It’s Richard Luscombe signing off. I’m handing over the blog to my colleagues on the west coast now, who will guide you through the next hours. Greg Abbott, the Texas governor will speak to reporters shortly and is sure to face questions about law enforcement’s failure to tackle the Uvalde gunman.
I wanted my final post of the day, however, to be about the victims. Please take some time to read here about the children and their teachers who were killed on Tuesday in their elementary school.
Patricia Paduay-Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin was among the 17 victims of the 2018 Parkland high school shooting in Florida, met Beto O’Rourke are she joined the anti-NRA protest in Houston today.
She and her husband, Joaquin’s father Manuel Oliver, founded the advocacy group Change the Ref, which urges citizens to be part of the fight for gun reform instead of leaving it to politicians. He told CNN this afternoon:
We have to make the difference. It’s on us. If you’re expecting these guys to solve the problem while you’re watching TV in your living room you’re wrong, because you can be the next victim.
“There will be more Uvaldes, El Pasos, Sutherland Springs, and Santa Fes until we decide to put the lives of our kids ahead of the political careers of gun lobby politicians like Greg Abbott.” @BetoORourke pic.twitter.com/yTla2faVPQ
— Change the Ref (@ChangeTheRef) May 27, 2022
Charlie Scudder reports from Houston…
Around 1.30pm, Beto O’Rourke gave brief remarks to the crowd of several hundred outside the NRA convention hall. The Democrat is running for Texas governor, and confronted his opponent, Governor Greg Abbott, at a press conference in Uvalde this week.
In Houston, O’Rourke spoke briefly. Talking about meeting families of the victims in Uvalde, he said he would never forget their names.
“The time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Sandy Hook,” he said, referring to the killing of 20 children and six adults in Connecticut in 2012.
“The time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Parkland.”
Seventeen people died in that shooting, at a high school in Florida in 2018.
“The time for us to have stopped Uvalde was right after Santa Fe high school.”
Ten people were killed there, in Texas, three months after Parkland.
O’Rourke said: “To the attendees of the NRA convention across the street, you are not our enemy. Join us to make sure this never happens again.”
The speech was brief and many attendees left the rally as other speakers began speaking. About 500 people stayed to chant and listen to speakers, across the street from the convention’s main entrance.
Texas governor Greg Abbott will speak to the media a little later this afternoon about the Uvalde school shooting, but not all of his focus is there. Martin Pengelly and Charlie Scudder have this report:
Amid mounting fury over the National Rifle Association holding its convention in Houston three days after 19 children and two adults were shot dead at a school in Uvalde, the governor of Texas withdrew from speaking in person at the event.
Greg Abbott was still due to address the NRA by video, while visiting Uvalde and holding a press conference there.
The Republican governor stirred controversy by attending a political fundraiser on Tuesday, the day the shooting occurred. His staff then said he would suspend all political activity.
In a dramatic scene on Wednesday, as Abbott and others gave a briefing about Uvalde, they were confronted by Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic candidate for governor.
O’Rourke, who is strongly pro-gun control, told Abbott: “This is on you.”
Abbott’s lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, withdrew from speaking to the NRA, saying he did not want “to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde”.
Other prominent Republicans to withdraw included Dan Crenshaw, a congressman, and Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn is involved in negotiations in Washington over gun law reform, although a spokesperson said his withdrawal was for personal reasons.
Prominent Republicans still planning to speak included former president Donald Trump, the Texas senator Ted Cruz and the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem.
Cruz, a leading recipient of gun group donations, has maintained a high profile since the shooting, angrily clashing with one reporter who asked about gun reform.
Read the full story:
Charlie Scudder reports from Houston…
A series of speakers outside the NRA convention hall spoke to several hundred people through the early afternoon. Between speeches from politicians, people who lost loved ones to gun violence shared their stories.
One woman who introduced herself as Adrienne said her son died after being shot in a road rage incident on Halloween 2019.
“I had to bury my baby on his 19th birthday. No parent should have to have that. My son was my life,” she said. “I’m the one serving a life sentence, not the monster who shot my son.”
The US representative Sheila Jackson Lee said she and democratic House leadership will consider bills on gun control in the coming weeks.
“I have no need to challenge your guns. I have no need to challenge the constitution,” she said. “We have heard your voices … I have been in the fight for [too] long.”
The Harris county judge, Lena Hidalgo, the primary executive in Houston, called on state legislators to pass similar measures.
“We should not make the grandmothers cry,” Hidalgo said. “You did not elect me to offer thoughts and prayers.”
Here’s our news story about this afternoon’s press conference in Uvalde, Texas, in which we learned that children inside classrooms at Robb elementary were frantically calling 911 for help as a gunman murdered their schoolmates, and up to 19 police officers stood outside in school hallways without intervening:
Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell of California, a vocal gun reform advocate, is furious that Republicans in the House are seeking to gain political capital out of the baby formula crisis, while refusing to back legislation to help prevent school shootings:
Interim Summary
Maya Yang
It’s been a busy day with developments on the Texas elementary school shooting as more details emerge.
Here’s where things stand:
- The head of the Texas department of public safety has said “there’s no excuse” for officers not trying to break into the elementary school classroom as the gunman fired away.
- The parents of the gunman have spoken out asking forgiveness, with the mother saying, “Forgive me, forgive my son” and the father saying, “I just want the people to know I’m sorry, man, [for] what my son did.”
- Protestors, led by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, are calling for gun reforms are gathering in Houston where the National Rifle Association (NRA) will begin its annual conference later today, less than 300 miles from the scene of the Uvalde massacre.
- Investigators are facing questioning over changing aspects of the shooting narrative as parents demand answers to why law enforcement were delayed in their responses.
More from Charlie Scudder in Houston…
A rally with speakers began around noon outside the Houston convention center.
Liz Hanks, with Moms Demand Action in Texas, lead a chant of “shame” toward the NRA Convention across the street.
“We are an embarrassment around the entire world because we cannot protect our children in our schools,” Hanks says. “We know how to fix this. Turn around and let them know how you feel.”
Overhead, a plane carried a banner: “NRA GO AWAY.”
David Hogg, a survivor of the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018, encouraged people to call their representatives in Congress to encourage a vote on gun control measures.
“I believe that this time can be different and will be different,” Hogg said. “The NRA is at its weakest point it has been in American history, ever.”
The barrage of questions at the press conference has taken its toll on Steven McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the veteran officer broke down in tears:
Forget how I’m doing, it’s the parents, those children… forget about me and our officers, we take an oath to protect the people.
Asked if the parents were owed an apology, McCraw responded:
If I thought it would help, I’d apologize. We’re not here to defend what happened, we’re here to report the facts.
This is about finding facts as quick as we can…. for the citizens of Uvalde.
He then appeared to pass off responsibility to chief of police of the Uvalde independent school district, who, he told reporters, had control of the situation.
He was convinced at that time there was no more threat to the children, that the subject was barricaded, and they had time to organize with the proper equipment to go in.
You’re certainly welcome to reach out to them.
The lengthy press conference has wrapped, with McCraw saying he will welcome Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Sunday.
This community has been hit hard, it’s noble the president will be here to recognize the pain and suffering.
Charlie Scudder reports from Houston…
By noon on Friday, several hundred people protesting for stricter gun control had gathered across the street from the main entrance of the George R Brown Convention Center, where the NRA is holding its annual meeting.
Some groups, like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and the local Democratic party, set up booths to pass out signs and water and register voters. Many more people gathered in a scrum directly across from the convention hall, shouting into megaphones with chants like “Not one more” and “Vote them out”.
One group, holding wooden crosses for each Uvalde victim and wheeling a child-sized coffin, split off from the main group to march around a large city park.
They shouted: “Protect our kids, not guns.”
Among those who gathered was 73-year-old Nancy Harris. She carried in her pocket a handwritten list of 12 names, all people she knew who died from gun violence. Her daughter’s name was among them.
“I drove here from Fort Worth to tell these assholes to stop,” Harris said, her voice halting.
She said she didn’t know one the NRA was meeting in Houston until after the shooting in Uvalde. She stayed up for two nights, she said, hearing people say Americans needed to do something and wondering what she could do herself.
Asked why she had driven the four hours to protest the convention, she laughed.
“How many more of these do you intend to report on?” she told the Guardian. “How many more need to happen? … All I want is reasonable gun control. Reasonable background checks and eliminating military style weapons.”
McCraw said officers who responded were obliged to have tried to take the shooter down, regardless of the presence of a commander on the scene:
When there’s an active shooter, the rules change.
Texas embraces active shooter training, active shooter certification, and that doctrine requires officers, we don’t care what agency, you don’t have to have a leader on the scene, [that] every officer lines up, stacks up, goes and finds where those rounds are being fired, and keeps shooting until the subject is dead. Period.
Texas officials: ‘No excuse for not tackling shooter’
The head of the Texas department of public safety has said “there’s no excuse” for officers not trying to break into an elementary school classroom where a gunman was killing 19 students and two teachers.
Steven McCraw was facing questions over law enforcement’s response to Tuesday’s shooting at Robb elementary, at a lunchtime briefing in Uvalde.
Reporters wanted to know why law enforcement officers waited outside for about an hour while the killing continued, and before a Swat team eventually breached the classroom and shot the killer dead.
Parents and locals pleaded with officers in vain to go in and end the massacre, even as the sound of gunshots was audible from outside.
“It was the wrong decision,” McCraw conceded.
“The on-scene commander at the time believed it had transitioned from an active shooter to a barricaded subject,” he said, adding the commander thought “there were no children at risk”.
“Obviously, based upon the information we [now] have, there were children in that classroom at risk”.
Asked about a “40-minute gap” in which 911 operators were aware children were alive, but officers still didn’t go in, he added:
The decision was made that this was a barricaded subject, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for a tactical team … that was the decision, that was the thought process.
With the benefit of hindsight, of course it was not the right decision, it was the wrong decision. Period. There’s no excuse for that.
McCraw said: “I want to correct something that was said earlier on the investigation, that [the killer] posted on Facebook publicly that he was going to kill his grandmother and secondly he was going to shoot up a school.
“That didn’t happen,” McCraw said, adding that it was on a message to someone else.
On 14 March, the subject made an Instagram post saying “10 more days”, the director said, to which a respondent asked: “Are you going to shoot up a school.”
“Stop asking dumb questions and you’ll see,” Ramos allegedly replied.
Now it’s time for media questions …
McCraw is getting emotional as he recounts some of the 911 calls, including several from a female who, is a whisper, reported “multiple dead” in a classroom.
She said there were eight to nine students still alive, at that stage.
At 12.36pm, a 911 call that lasted for 21 seconds was received, from a student, who was told to stay on the line and stay quiet.
The student said: “Please send the police now.”
At 12.51pm, McCraw said, there was a loud noise, then what sounded on the call like officers were removing children from the room.
Three Uvalde police department officers entered the school at 11.35am, McCraw says, two minutes after the shooter entered using the same door.
Four more officers followed. Some of the officers received “grazing wounds”.
At 11.51am other agents arrived and at 12.03pm there were as many as 19 officers in the school hallway, he says.
He then gives a brief chronology of the next 40 or so minutes, more shots being fired, more officers, including a tactical team, arriving, and the breaching of a classroom door at 12.50pm using a key provided by a janitor.
It was at that point the shooter was taken down, McCraw says.
Now he’s going to give a timeline of 911 calls …
