The Uvalde school shooting in Texas on May 24, 2022, left 19 students and two teachers dead, making it one of the worst school shootings in US history. The delayed law enforcement response to the shooting, where nearly 400 officers waited over 70 minutes before confronting the gunman, has been widely criticized. Families of the victims have been seeking accountability for the slow police response in the small South Texas city of Uvalde, about 80 miles west of San Antonio. Calls from students inside the school, body camera footage, and surveillance videos were released by Uvalde city officials after a legal battle with news organizations.
The release of the information reignited anger among family members of the victims. Brett Cross, who lost his 10-year-old nephew in the shooting, expressed frustration at the lack of transparency and accountability from officials. Jesse Rizo, whose niece was killed, criticized the law enforcement’s delayed response, stating that earlier intervention could have potentially saved lives. The police response included Border Patrol agents, state police officials, as well as school and city police, but the actions taken by officers were called into question as they waited outside the building instead of going in to confront the shooter.
The gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, entered the school and opened fire in multiple classrooms, resulting in multiple casualties. The first responding officers initially approached the classrooms but retreated when Ramos continued firing. A SWAT team was eventually called in from Austin, over 160 miles away. Eventually, a tactical team was able to enter one of the classrooms and fatally shoot Ramos. Criticisms included in a US Justice Department report highlighted the lack of urgency in establishing a command center, leading to confusion among officers about leadership and prioritization of lives.
During the shooting, terrified instructors made frantic 911 calls describing the chaos and violence unfolding inside the school. One teacher reported hearing many gunshots while another sobbed into the phone, pleading for help. The shooter had wounded his grandmother at home before driving to the school and carrying out the attack. His uncle made several 911 calls in an attempt to convince him to stop the shooting, but by the time law enforcement officers killed Ramos, the offer came too late. Two responding officers now face criminal charges for child abandonment and endangerment.
Former Uvalde school Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. A Texas state trooper who was initially suspended has been reinstated to his job. Some families have called for more officers to be charged and have filed lawsuits against various entities, including law enforcement, social media platforms, online gaming companies, and the gun manufacturer responsible for the weapon used in the shooting. The tragedy has raised questions about law enforcement training, communication, leadership, and the prioritization of lives in such crisis situations.
