At least two children called 911, one of whom begged for help, during the mass shooting in a Uvalde, Texas elementary school on Tuesday.
One girl called 911 more than five times, according to Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven C. McCraw said at a Friday afternoon news conference. He did not name the children but said that they both survived Robb Elementary School attacked,
nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the shootout.
The first 911 call came at 12:03 pm local time. McCraw said the girl whispered that she was in room 112. The call lasted one minute and 23 seconds.
The girl called again at 12:10 and said that several people had died, he said. He called at 12:13, and then again at 12:16 to say that eight or nine students were alive.
At 12:19, a second student called 911 from room 111, according to McCraw. The girl hung up the phone when another student told her.
McCraw said three shots could be heard in the background during the 911 call at 12:21. There was an additional call at 12:36 but lasted only 21 seconds. The director said that the first girl called 911 again and “was told to be on the line and be very calm.”
Around 12:43 and 12:47, the girl asked the 911 operator to “Please send the police now,” McCraw said. Around the same time, the girl said she could hear the police next door.
In another call which came at 12:50, the sound of shots could be heard. About a minute later, McCraw said the call was “very loud” and “sounds like officers are pulling children out of the room” could be heard.
Journalists answered questions about the 911 calls to McCraw and the response of law enforcement to the shooting. There was a gap of about 40 minutes between the first call and when the shooter, Salvador Rolando Ramos, was killed by police.
McCraw, who admitted law enforcement made mistakes, said a decision was made at the scene that it was a “barricade subject position” and it was time to obtain the keys to the room where the shooter was barricaded.
“That was the thought process at that particular time,” he said.
McCraw went on to say that it was “the wrong decision” for police not to immediately violate the class.
Regarding the delay in entering the officers’ room, he said, “From the advantage of where I am sitting now, it was definitely not the right decision.”
The director also said that a school resource officer, who arrived at the scene, passed the shooter, who was perched next to a car.