Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he was “livid” that law enforcement had “tricked” him into responding to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
“I was mistaken,” Abbott told a news conference announcing several state resources for the victims of Tuesday’s mass shooting. “I’m furious about what happened.”
Abbott, who earlier this week praised police for their “quick response” to the mass shooting, wondered if he knew police had decided not to enter the classroom door where gunman Salvador Ramos killed 19 students and two teachers.
It took police about an hour to enter the classroom, and only after receiving a key from a janitor to open the door, authorities said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is holding a press conference with state agencies and local officials as police response to Tuesday’s mass shooting is under increasing scrutiny Friday. Reuters Law enforcement and other rescuers gather outside Robb Elementary after the May 24, 2022 shooting.
“Law enforcement will earn the public’s trust by making sure they thoroughly and thoroughly investigate exactly what happened,” Abbott told a news conference. “Families whose lives have been destroyed need answers.”
Abbott’s comments came hours after Texas police admitted at a news conference that they made the “wrong decision” to wait outside a classroom where 19 students and two teachers died.
Steven McCraw, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said there was “no excuse” for law enforcement not to intervene while Ramos was wreaking havoc.
Democratic State Senator Roland Gutierrez, representing Uvalde, adjourned Abbott’s press conference on Friday. REUTERS Governor Abbott said he had been “misled” about the police response to Tuesday’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary. REUTERS “Families whose lives have been destroyed need answers,” Abbott said Friday. ZUMA24.com
Police had been ordered to wait for the backup and equipment, but when a specialized team of federal officers arrived, Ramos had been at the school for more than an hour, McCraw said.
“Of course it wasn’t the right decision,” McCraw said. “It was a wrong decision.”
On Wednesday, a day after the massacre, Abbott, 64, praised law enforcement for his “quick response” and averting a worse tragedy.
“The reality is, no matter how horrible it happened, it could have been worse. The reason it wasn’t worse is because law enforcement did what they did,” Abbott said at the time.
The latest in a Texas school shooting
“The reason it wasn’t worse is because law enforcement officers did what they did. They showed incredible courage running towards gunfire with the singular purpose of trying to save lives,” he added.
“And it’s a fact that thanks to their quick response, getting to the scene of being able to respond to the gunman and eliminate him, they were able to save lives,” Abbott said.
Gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, shot dead 19 students and two teachers. salv8dor_ / Instagram Ramos posted photos of his weapons on social media before his mortification. salv8dor_ / Instagram
Abbott was scheduled to give a speech at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention on Friday, but chose to send a pre-recorded video of his speech.
Ramos shot his grandmother in the face before undoing the bloodbath at Robb d’Uvalde Elementary School on Tuesday.