A Texas State Police official said officers outside Uvalde School, where a gunman killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers Tuesday, were waiting for a backup to confront the shooter because they feared that “they might have been shot.”
Texas Department of Homeland Security spokesman Chris Olivarez said in an interview Thursday with CNN that the first officers to enter Robb Elementary School after gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, were shot and they withdrew to avoid being killed.
“At that time, if they were chasing him further, without knowing where the suspect was, they could have been shot; they could have been killed, and at that moment, that gunman would have a chance to kill other people inside this school,” he said. said Olivarez to host Wolf Blitzer.
Local and state police outside Robb Elementary School waited for a specialized U.S. Border Patrol tactical team to arrive and eliminate Ramos nearly an hour after his massacre began.
Ramos had locked the door of the classroom where he killed the 21 victims and officers were unable to enter until a school staff member gave them a key, the Associated Press had reported.
Ramos was killed by a specialized U.S. Border Patrol tactical team about an hour after his massacre began. AP / Dario Lopez-Mills Parents frantically asked officers to enter the school building and save children before the tactical team arrived.REUTERS / Marco Bello Ramos killed 21 children and teachers before being stopped by law enforcement.AP / Jae C. Hong
Olivarez said officers were able to contain the gunman inside the classroom so he could not kill more people throughout the school building.
Dozens of parents arrived at the school while Ramos was still inside and begged officers waiting outside to load the building.
Some parents suggested that they enter the school building themselves, videos of the scene are shown.
The latest in a Texas school shooting
A mother shouted at an officer, “Are you afraid they’ll shoot you? I’ll go in without a vest, I’ll do it!”
Another mother of two did this. After walking away from the crowd, he jumped the school fence, entered the building, and ran out with his two children.