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Bright sunshine in Uvalde casts off a cloud of anger and anguish that sweeps the small Texas town.
Local funeral homes are so overwhelmed, it would take weeks to bury some of the 19 children and two teachers killed Tuesday at Robb Elementary School.
And days after the massacre, the families of the victims learned more about what really happened in Classes 111 and 112 during the final moments of their loved ones.
Children trapped near the gunman called 911 several times begging for help. but Police waited inside the school for about an hour before facing the shooter.
It is not clear how many of the 19 children killed or the two teachers probably survived The police had entered earlier.
CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey, a former Philadelphia police commissioner, told CNN: “The devastating injuries that many of those children suffered, no doubt some of them died while awaiting police entry. Went.”
“There’s no question in my mind that that probably happened,” Ramsey said on Sunday. “There’s no way you can justify it.”
But it’s not fair to put all the blame on the school district police chief, which officials say he made the decision. To not break the classroom door immediatelyTexas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said Sunday.
“At the end of the day, everyone has failed here,” he said. “We failed these kids. We also failed them in the Texas Legislature.”
It is not clear what changes will happen at the state or federal level to help prevent school shootings and public massacres. The elementary school slaughter in Uvalde marked at least the 30th shooting at a K-12 school in the first five months of this year.
President Joe Biden visited Uvalde on Sunday To give your sympathy and support. Exactly 12 days ago, Biden visited New York State 10 killed in racist massacre at Buffalo grocery store,
The suspects in both the murders were 18 years old and had bought their weapons legally.
In active shooter situations, all law enforcement officers in Texas are trained to enter and confront the assailant according to the active shooter guidelines In the State’s Commission on Law Enforcement 2020 Training Manual.
“As first responders we must recognize that innocent lives must be defended,” Manuel says. “First responders wishing to put the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field.”
Those guidelines were clearly not followed in Uvalde.
After days of public uproar, officials in Texas issued a clear timeline How did the tragedy unfold?
Colonel Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Uvalde police officers entered the school about two minutes after the shooter.
But the incident commander at the scene — the school district’s police chief — believed the situation had changed from an active shooter to a “barricaded subject,” McCraw said.
It is unclear why the district police chief, Pedro “Pete” Arredondo, may have believed so. Officials said Arredondo called on officers not to go to class as they waited for room keys and tactical equipment.
Over the course of a window of about 70 minutes, officers went inside the building and called for more resources such as equipment and negotiators, McCraw said.
For 45 minutes before the police entered the classroom, 19 officers were standing in the hallway.
Eventually, a Border Patrol tactical team member arrived at the scene, entered orbit and killed the gunman more than an hour after the mass shooting began.
McCraw said the decision not to enter the class early was wrong decision, And the officers should have confronted the shooter immediately.
Since the massacre, graduations and other celebratory events have been canceled as the community mourns the breakdown of some of its most vulnerable.
Funeral homes in Uvalde have committed to cover costs for the families of the 21 victims, with some services starting Monday.
Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home wrote of it, “We have fought together as a community and we will be together in our time of need.” facebook page,
The Rushing-Estes-Knowles mortuary echoed support for the Uvalde community: “Today, our resolve is stronger than ever. We are here for the people of Uvalde.” funeral home said shooting day.
Strangers have also traveled from hours away to help the victims in Uvalde.
Car detailing business owner Omar Rodriguez made 250 hamburgers to raise funds for the families of the victims.
At a friend’s lot on Main Street, Rodriguez set up a large grill, tables and supplies for cooking, while his family and friends grabbed rags and soap to wash cars for charity.
The 24-year-old said he could not stay at home, knowing there was something he could do to help.
“It’s a nice little town,” Rodriguez said. “There’s nothing here but love.”
Patrick Johnson, 58, drove seven hours from his hometown of Harleton, Texas, to Uvalde and set up a table full of toys for kids who haven’t smiled in days.
“There are many ways to be a blessing to people,” he said. “Whenever something like this happens, I do my research and contact local law enforcement and ask ‘What can I do?’ What does your community need right now?”
Johnson, a father of four, said he cried and cried when he heard about the shooting.
“I’m not even from this community, but I’m sorry. It makes you think about your kids,” Johnson said. “It makes you realize that it could have been you, mourning your children.”