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“The officers had weapons, the children did not have them. Officers wore armor, children did not. The agents had training, the subject had none. An hour, 14 minutes and eight seconds is the time the children and teachers waited in Classroom 111 to be rescued, “said the DPS director.
“Three minutes after the subject entered the west building, there were a sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor to isolate, distract and neutralize the subject,” McCraw added.
“The only thing that stopped a corridor of dedicated officers from entering rooms 111 and 112 was the commander on the scene, who decided to put the life of the officers before that of the children.”
McCraw said the scene’s commander, Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo, “was waiting for radio and rifles, and he was waiting for shields and waiting for SWAT. Finally, he was waiting for a key that was never needed.”
Arredondo said earlier this month that he was never considered the commander of the shooting scene incident and did not order police to refrain from breaking into the building.
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Arredondo told the Texas Tribune that he left his two radios out of school because he wanted to have his hands free to hold his gun. He said he asked for tactical equipment, a sniper and keys to enter, staying behind the gates for 40 minutes to avoid causing showers.
Community members along with the victims’ parents urged Arredondo to resign during a passionate school board meeting on Monday, ABC News reported.
Reuters