Officials release more videos of hesitant police response to Uvalde school shooting
AUSTIN, TEXAS– Videos of the School shooting in 2022 in Uvalde, Texas, police originally failed to rush officers from public shows to treat victims, parents running near the building and dozens of law enforcement officers standing outside Robb Elementary School.
Police have said the additional videos were discovered days after a large collection audio and video recordings were released in August. Taken together, the footage shows the hesitant police response in the small South Texas town where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in a fourth-grade classroom in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history .
The hours of the new video made public on Tuesday contain footage similar to that already released. In a chaotic scene, officers are seen performing chest compressions on one victim outside as others scream for help.
One Uvalde officer was placed on paid leave after the discovery of the additional videos in August. The release of the material by city officials over the summer followed a lengthy legal battle with The Associated Press and other news organizations.
Law enforcement’s delayed response to the May 24, 2022 shooting was widely condemned as a colossal failure: Nearly 400 officers waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman in a classroom full of dead and injured children and teachers in the South Texas city of about 15,000 people 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of San Antonio.
As terrified students and teachers called 911 from classrooms, dozens of officers stood in the hallway trying to figure out what to do. Desperate parents gathered outside the building begged them to go inside.
Previously released audio recordings included 911 calls from terrified instructors and students as gunshots rang out as pleas for help were made.
Federal investigations The law enforcement response was blamed on lapses in communication and inadequate training for their inability to confront the shooter, with some even questioning whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers.
Two of the responding officers are facing multiple criminal charges of desertion and endangerment. Former Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo And former school officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty. Arredondo, who appeared in court for the first time last month, stated this he thinks he has been made a scapegoat for the heavily controlled police response.
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Associated Press reporter Jamie Stengle contributed to this report from Dallas.
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Lathan is a staff member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.