WASHINGTON - Law enforcement officials described in chilling detail Thursday the time it took for tactical officers to finally gun down an 18-year-old attacker after he shot and killed 19 students and two teachers inside a fourth-grade classroom in small-town Texas.
Victor Escalon, the south Texas regional director for the state's Department of Public Safety, stood before a backdrop of stone-faced police officers, investigators and officials — a news conference that appeared aimed at deflecting mounting concerns about what took so long.
The gunman entered the school at about 11:40 a.m. local time through an apparently unlocked door, and contrary to initial reports, encountered no resistance, Escalon said — the armed school safety officer, normally a fixture at educational facilities around the U.S., was not there.
"He was not confronted by anybody," he said. "Four minutes later, law enforcement are coming in to solve this problem step by step."
Those officers who initially arrived on the scene pursued the gunman into the school, but soon after had to take cover when the shooter began opening fire on them, he continued. It would be a full hour before Border Patrol officers wearing tactical gear found their target.
"They don't make entry initially because of the gunfire they're receiving," Escalon said of the officers who arrived on the scene first.
"But we have officers calling for additional resources — everybody that's in the area, tactical teams. We need equipment — we need specialty equipment. We need body armour; we need precision riflemen; negotiators."
Students and teachers were also being evacuated from the building at the same time, he added.
Escalon also suggested that even if tactical officers had been able to breach the classroom sooner, it might have already been too late for the children and teachers inside.
"According to the information we have, the majority of the gunfire was in the beginning — in the beginning," he said. "I say numerous, more than 25 (rounds) — I repeat, it was a lot of gunfire in the beginning."
Media reports Thursday, coupled with cellphone video of the civilian pandemonium outside, detailed how parents and bystanders, well aware of the imminent threat inside the building, were frantically trying to get officers to go into the school to confront the gunman.
A Wall Street Journal report detailed how one of the parents on the scene was handcuffed by federal marshals who accused her of interfering with a police investigation. After local officers convinced their colleagues to set her free, she ran into the school and emerged with her two kids, the paper reported.
Escalon did not directly answer questions about why it took so long for tactical officers to get into the classroom, but promised more details would be forthcoming.
U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Uvalde on Sunday to "offer comfort" to the families of the victims and meet with community leaders, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as she urged Congress to take meaningful steps toward tougher gun restrictions.
"We need the help of Congress … we cannot do this alone," she said. "We need them to step in and to deal with this gun violence that we're seeing, that's tearing up not just families but communities across the country."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he's asked Texas Sen. John Cornyn to meet with Democrats to talk about legislation, but offered no details about what he hopes to see, beyond "an outcome that can actually pass and become law."
That's a tall order: Congress remains in a state of gridlock, in part because the Senate is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, but also because so many U.S. lawmakers support the rights of gun owners and enjoy the generous financial backing of the National Rifle Association.
The NRA, easily one of the most powerful political groups in the U.S., is meanwhile pressing ahead with its annual meeting in Houston despite the tragedy that unfolded Tuesday just a four-hour drive away.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the families and victims involved in this horrific and evil crime," the association said in a statement that described the gunman as a "lone, deranged criminal."
"As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."
Texas Republicans Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz have come under withering criticism for their planned appearances at the convention, which begins Friday. Former president Donald Trump has already confirmed he'll be there to deliver a speech.
"They are contributing to the problem of gun violence, not trying to solve it," Jean-Pierre said of the NRA.
"They don't represent gun owners who know that we need to take action. And it's shameful that the NRA and their allies have stood in the way of every attempt to advance measures that we all know will save lives."
Photo courtesy of IANS.
