Police Response to Uvalde School Shooting “An Abject Failure”: McCraw Testifies...Yet, Congress Scapegoats Legal and Responsible Gun Owners by Passing Red Flag Laws...

by Wendi Strauch Mahoney at UnCover DC

The police response to the May 24 Uvalde school shooting was an “abject failure,” said Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw in the first of a two-day hearing before the Texas Senate Special Committee. On June 21, McCraw asserted that within “three minutes,” there was a “sufficient number of officers” and equipment on hand to “isolate, distract, and neutralize the subject.”

Based on security footage, video and audio recording, and a timeline of events, McCraw lamented, “The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering rooms 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander—,” District Police Chief Pete Arredondo,

who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children.” 19 children and two teachers died in the “senseless massacre,” said McCraw. Multiple agencies are now cooperating in the investigation. McCraw continued:

“One hour, 14 minutes, and eight seconds. That’s how long the children waited, and the teachers waited in rooms 111 and 112 to be rescued. And while they waited, the on-scene commander waited for radios and rifles. Then he waited for shields. Then he waited for SWAT.

Lastly, he waited for [a] key that was never needed. Officers had weapons. Children had none. The officers had body armor. The children had none. The officers had training. The subject had none.”