The South Texas Public Safety Department released a detailed timeline of the horrific case on Thursday. Regional director Victor Escalon described at a press conference how it all started at 11:28 a.m. local time, when Salvador Ramos’ car crashed near the school. “He jumps out of the passenger side of his truck. According to witnesses, he has a long rifle and a bag with him. Later we discover that it is ammunition.”
“Ramos is walking around and sees two witnesses at the undertaker’s across the street where he crashed his vehicle,” Escalon continued. “He confronts them and shoots at them. He continues walking towards the school. He climbs over a fence. Now he is in the parking lot and he is shooting towards the school. Several times.”
Door
According to Escalon, the shooter was not confronted by an officer outside the school. This contradicts previous reports from the police. Ramos was also able to enter a door that was unlocked, when it should have been.
At 11:40 AM, Ramos walked into Robb Elementary School, past the west entrance. He also fired several times there. “Four minutes later, the local police are in. They hear shots and take cover. During that time they approach the place where the suspect is staying.”
The police were unable to intervene immediately because shots were fired in their direction. They called for backup while the other children and teachers were evacuated. About an hour later, the Border Police tactical team arrived. He entered the classroom and shot the suspect.
Earlier, there was criticism of the slow action of the police. Videos show desperate parents begging the police to storm the building during the attack. Some fathers had to be restrained. “Why do you let children die,” says one woman in one such video. “There’s shooting in there!” Asked if the police should have intervened sooner, Escalon replied: “That’s a difficult question.”
Just before the press conference, the local police of Uvalde had already sent out a statement saying that “police officers responded within minutes.” “It’s important that our community knows that,” he said.