It was easy for Salvador Ramos, a teenage gunman to enter Robb Elementary School in the morning of May 24, and kill 19 children along with two teachers.
Leaked footage shows how cops in Uvalde, Texas, stalled in the hallway for 77 minutes, checked their phones, used hand sanitizer and ran away from the gunfire at the school as Ramos fired more than 100 rounds at children in two classrooms.
Nearing the end of the standoff, Uvalde County Sheriff’s Officer Felix Rubio is seen being prevented by fellow officers from engaging Ramos.
Ramos finally gets the attention of multiple law enforcement agencies. A Rubio officer, however, steps in front to apply hand sanitizer.
Later, you can see him crying, moving and gesticulating when officers don’t engage Ramos.
Rubio’s daughter, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, was one of Ramos’ 19 victims. She was only 10 years old.
The Austin-American Statesman first obtained the video. The video, which is as predicted by many, shows how Uvalde’s police treated the victims and their loved ones on that fateful day.
It has been the topic of intense political debate at Texas’ highest levels. The video was requested by Governor Greg Abbott, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, and Rep. Dustin Burrows who heads the inquiry of the Texas House into the shooting.
Ramos arrived at the school at 11.33am and was not shot until 12.50 pm.
Border Patrol agents arrived at the scene and stopped him.
Parents and families of the 20 children and teachers killed in May 24 shootings are angry and want to find out why gunman aged 18 was allowed to go on his rampage while officers were away from the classrooms.
At the close of the standoff, Uvalde County Sheriffs Deputy Felix Rubio is shown below right being prevented by his brother officers from engaging Ramos
Ramos’ daughter, Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10, was one of the 19 children who were killed on May 24
Video footage leaked shows that Uvalde cops, Texas, stopped in the hallway and checked their phones. They then used hand sanitizer to escape the gunfire from Ramos, who fired over 100 shots at children.
Surveillance footage leaked shows Salvador Ramos (18) walking through Robb Elementary School’s halls on May 24, armed with an AR-15
The video starts at 11:28 AM from the viewpoint of the Robb Elementary School’s parking lot camera.
This video depicts Salvador Ramos violently turning his car around and colliding into a ditch. The scene of the accident is surrounded by a plume of smoke.
Ramos fires shots at them after two unidentified men approached the vehicle. Two men ran for their lives across the road to Robb Elementary School.
Kimberly, Felix and their daughter were photographed just hours prior to Salvador Ramos’ rampage.
The teacher then tells a 911 operator that he doesn’t see him. He is not visible to me. He is not visible.’ She said, “The children are running.” O my God.
As she sobs in desperate despair, her voice cracks and she shouts “Oh my god!”
Ramos then fires random shots at the school, starting from his parking lot.
According to the teacher, students are told to “get in their rooms and get out of them.”
Ramos enters the school calmly, armed with an AR-15.
In a matter of seconds, the camera will switch to video surveillance from Robb Elementary School.
Ramos steps into an empty hallway as the sunlight beams through his front door. As if to verify that he’s on the right path, he stops at a corner before turning around.
The gun is dropped by his side as he starts to fade down a long corridor. He then brushes his long hair on the way to 112 and 111, where the massacre occurred.
After he starts to fade down a long corridor, he takes his gun from his side and brushes his long hair to get to the classrooms 111 & 112, where the massacre occurred.
Ramos slowly disappears from the camera’s view. In the footage leaked, this is his last appearance.
Ramos’ first officer, who arrived just minutes later than Ramos on the scene, attempted to initially charge the class.
A young boy enters the frame from the background. The boy turns around and remains frozen for just a moment. Then, he hears loud gunfire.
You can see the boy running off, his arms flailing.
DailyMail.com’s video shows a warning: “Editor’s Note: Children’s screams have been silenced.” Police claim that more than 100 rounds were fired.
Another message is displayed on the screen: ‘The gunman fires an AR-15 within two classrooms, for two and half minutes.
Three minutes later the police arrive at the scene. The three officers arriving on the scene are uniformed in one and two-in-plain clothes in another. They charge towards the classroom, before sitting down, while four other officers remain back.
They talk to one another as the four officers remain behind. Their conversations are inaudible
Un uniformed officer, who was looking ahead at Ramos’ three coworkers and tried to get in touch with him, quickly checks his mobile phone.
Then, three loud bangs can be heard.
The two officers in uniform retreat slightly after hearing gunfire. Meanwhile, the officer wearing plain clothes scurries to safety behind the wall. He checks his clothes for any bullets and then runs to the other side.
You could see one even taking his phone out of his pocket to check the time. Statesman says that other people sent messages as well and looked at floor plans, while the precious seconds ticked away.
The first reinforcements arrived 19 minutes after Ramos attempted to confront them. They were armed with long guns and tactical gear, as well as a ballistic shield, and they are seen in the corridor. They are still at a safe distance to Ramos.
A single officer holds the shield against a wall.
Responding officers placed the first ballistic shield against a wall.
One point in the video, it switches to picture-in-picture. It shows just how many officers were waiting for engagement.
Within a little more than half an hour of the 911 call being made, another group of officers arrived in the hall, dressed in combat gear with long guns and shields. Ramos does not appear to be a threat.
Picture in picture shows a screen that has an officer’s body camera. It illustrates the number of officers who are waiting in line with their weapons. In the footage from body cameras, one officer is seen scrolling through his smartphone.
Main pictures depict officers wearing tactical gear creating a barrier of shields to protect themselves against an attack from Ramos.
Ramos continues to fire four additional rounds 48 minutes after arriving at school. The initial reactions from law enforcement personnel are not very encouraging. This is the second time that “shots were fired” has been repeated.
As officers begin to move down the hall towards Ramos, there is still more unintelligible conversation.
The leader appears to be dressed in civilian clothes, which includes shorts and a bulletproof vest. His rifle is on his person.
He is the cover for more armored officers.
A civilian officer wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest gets hand sanitizer. The officer rubs his hands vigorously while he waits to save Robb Elementary School children’s lives.
In the aftermath of officers taking down the cops who used hand sanitizer, the officer using the phone is seen with the policeman.
Officer in civilian uniform, with a helmet and bulletproof vest receives hand sanitizer at a dispenser.
After more then half an hour, another officer could be seen entering with rifles and ballistic shields down the corridor to Ramos’ hiding place.
Finally officers break into the classroom to engage Ramos and quickly kill him. The nightmare ended exactly 77 minutes later.
After about 77 minutes Border Patrol agents can be seen storming into the classroom. They are also heard setting fire to the room. But the Uvalde police remain back
Rep. Dustin Burrows, who tweeted Tuesday that the video would be available on Sunday following its showing to Uvalde’s community, said that it was likely to be posted on Sunday.
Salvador Ramos (pictured), 18, shot and killed 19 students as well as two teachers during the Uvalde massacre, May 24, while officers held back for more than an hour
Burrows sent a tweet prior to the publication of the video: “The Committee will convene on Sunday at 2 pm in Uvalde,” Burrows wrote. We will be meeting with the community to discuss the preliminary report and give them the chance to see the hallway footage. We will soon release them both to the general public.
Rep. Burrows claimed that the video “would not include any graphic images of violence or depictions thereof.”
“I could tell people for hours what it was I saw,” he stated. However, the committee may be able to tell you what it was that they witnessed, but seeing it first-hand is much better. And we believe that this is very important.
He indicated that he was committed to continue “to exert pressure on the situation, and to consider all possibilities in order to make sure the video goes out for the public’s viewing.”
After images of surveillance footage at the school revealed heavily-armed officers with ballistic shields, aiming their guns down the corridor and holding on to them, officials have admitted the situation could be stopped in three minutes.
This image was taken on May 24, at 12.04pm. It is 46 minutes after Border Patrol agents arrived in the classroom to fatally shoot Ramos and over half an hour before he started firing.
Pete Arredondo (police chief) stopped the officers and stated that the suspect had encircled himself and needed a key in order to enter.
Following a march by parents through the city on Sunday night calling for accountability, the move to release the footage was made. Pete Arredondo, the chief of police in the area remains on administrative leave.
After Ramos set fire to two classes in Robb Elementary School on May 24, children from Robb Elementary school ran for safety.
Robb Elementary School was surrounded by crime scene tape in the wake of the shooting.
Mayor Don McLaughlin said on Friday he backed the plans by the Texas House Special Committee to release the clips.
McLaughlin added that he hopes sharing the clips will ‘bring clarity to the public,’ amid increasing questions as to why Ramos wasn’t stopped earlier in his rampage after the surveillance photos were released by the Austin American-Statesman last month.
Pete Arredondo was the Uvalde School District Police Chief. He claimed that he believed the gunman was inside the school, away from the kids, and that he wanted more equipment to assist the police when they entered.
There are records that children have called 911 asking for help. Additionally, reports state that police officers have urged Arredondo outside to let the children in.
Police have now admitted that Ramos’ rampage was not stopped by officers. After the shooting, police officers stood outside of the elementary school.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent Schools District Chief Pete Arredondo was the one in control and mistakenly believed there weren’t any other children in that room after the shooter barricaded himself in.
The AustinAmerican-Statesman has also previously obtained damning transcripts showing Arredondo asking for help.
Ramos entered the structure three minutes later and 11 officers were already inside.
Arredondo dialed Uvalde Police Department at 11:40 AM, just seven minutes after Ramos entered Robb Elementary.
He stated, “It is an emergency right now.”
“We have him in our room. His AR-15 is with him. He shoots a lot.
“They must be prepared to go outside of the building, as we do not have any firepower at this time.” All you have are pistols.
Arredondo stated that he didn’t possess a radio. You must bring me a radio.
The gunman was captured by bodycam footage four minutes later at 11:44 am.
At 11:52 AM, the photograph showed officers with a ballistic-shield.
According to transcripts from body cameras, one officer stated that if there are children in the area, they should go there.
Another responds, “Whoever’s in charge will decide.”
Arredondo insists that the officers, despite having rifles in their hands, find the keys for the door.
A second officer, armed with a ballistic shield, entered the school at 12:03 PM. The third arrived just two minutes later.
Arredondo attempted to talk to the gunman around 12:20, 45 minutes after attack started. He then asked if he could be shot from outside of the classroom.
Arredondo inquired if officers might consider “popping” him through the window.
He proposed: “Get two people to shoot on the other side of this window?” He suggested that we break the windows and shoot (expletive). His head through those windows.
At 12:46pm, Arredondo told SWAT team officers who had arrived that they should breach the classroom door if they were ready.
Four minutes later, they did it.
Pete Arredondo (Uvalde School police chief), second from the left, at a news conference held outside the Robb Elementary school, Uvalde Texas, just a few days following the shooting.
The Robb Elementary School was occupied by police on May 24th in Uvalde
After the May 24th shooting at Robb Elementary School, police ran near it.
Video footage shows students and teachers trapped in classrooms. 111 and classrooms 112 as Ramos fired consecutive rounds of ammunition on his killing spree while armed officers stood quietly in the hallway.
Und a bombshell report from the Texas State University’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training reveals ‘missed opportunities to save lives.’
Reports revealed that one officer witnessed the shooting outside school, but didn’t take any action.
“The ‘officer didn’t hear” a reply [on his radio]He turned his head to verify the confirmation of his supervisor,” reads the details.
“When he returned to confront the suspect, he discovered that the suspect was already inside the west hallway exterior door at 11.33:00.
According to the Mayor, he denied the conclusions of the last month’s report. He stated in part that it was a coach and children who were playing in the park, not the shooter.
Arnulfo Ros, 45, is a fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary School. He said he didn’t get why Arredondo wouldn’t do so.
Reyes announced to NPR He is the second-cousin of the school’s chief police officer, who was criticized for keeping officers waiting for over an hour while Ramos locked himself in the building with students.
Fourth-grade teacher Reyes was shot in the leg by Ramos on May 24th, when he killed 11 students from Robb Elementary School.
He said his classroom’s doorknob had been broken for at least two years – something he says Arredondo knew even though the police chief claimed he had to search for keys to enter the building.
Reyes replied, “But he wouldn’t have said that because it’s my family.” “But he did not.”
He said, “There is really no excuse to for 77 minutes,” referring to the time taken by Border Patrol agents for Ramos to be confronted at the school. They shot Ramos dead.
Reyes claimed that during that period, Reyes had to be dead about an hour following Ramos shooting him in his arm. He then watched as Ramos killed all 11 students in the class that day.
Ramos shot him in the back again, making him struggle for breath.
He said that he was not certain if he would return to teaching, after 17 years of molding minds.
Reyes spoke with NPR to recount how 7 of his students quit school after an awards ceremony celebrating perfect attendance.
While the remaining eleven students watched a film together, the initial shots were heard. This moment was something he had previously told ABC News. They all died.
Robb Elementary School was the victim of the Robb Elementary School massacre that resulted in the deaths of all 11 Reyes students.
According to the 1veteran teacher, as he was going to gather under the table with his children, Ramos turned to him and struck Reyes three more times. Then he continued to shoot at all his students.
He said that at one time he could hear Ramos answering police calls. Ramos, however, was still outside for over an hour.
The officers finally returned to Reyes’ classroom where Reyes said that he had heard them plead with Ramos for help. ABC was told by the teacher that they told Ramos they simply wanted to communicate with him.
He said that there was silence before the cops broke through to Ramos’ home and shot him dead. By then, Reyes’ 11 students had already been killed.
Community members and parents demanded information about how the police responded to the shooting at the May 24, 2014 march.
They gathered at the school and marched to Uvalde Plaza where they named the victims and recounted their broken dreams
Families and other community members met last weekend in solidarity to demand an explanation for the attack. There were hundreds of people marching through the streets calling for justice.
According to the New York Times, Unheard Voices March & Rally began at the elementary school. Community members carried signs saying ‘Remember Their Names’ and shouting ‘Save Our Kids’.
As they gathered at Uvalde Plaza to celebrate their loss, their relatives read their names and shared their broken dreams.
Javier Cazares organized the march, but his 9-year old daughter Jackie died in the shooting.
He stated that parents had asked for a thorough explanation as to what transpired during the May 24 police response and demanded officials take responsibility.
Many are calling for stricter gun control in conservative states.
Tina Quintanilla Taylor said that her mother wanted to see accountability from every level – at the local, state, and federal levels. She pulled her child out early on that first day.
The committee, which consists of three Democrats and eight Republicans, will hear Wednesday from experts in mental health and firearm safety.