Nearly 400 officers were at the scene of the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, which left 21 people dead at the end of May. But “systematic errors” and poor leadership created a chaotic situation and led to the high number of deaths. This is according to an investigation by the Texas parliament into the shooting.
The police soon received a lot of criticism after the shooting for allegedly reacting too slowly. The report presented on Sunday by a committee of the Texas parliament is the most comprehensive attempt yet to determine why it took more than an hour for police to stop the 18-year-old gunman. He shot dead 19 students and two teachers.
The report concludes that “law enforcement officers have failed to adhere to their training” and “have not put saving lives above their own safety”.
The 77-page document further states that the 376 police officers rushed to the school in a chaotic manner. There would have been a lack of clear leadership. The sense of urgency would also have been insufficient.
However, the report also notes several shortcomings in the school itself. The outside fence around the school building didn’t stop the shooter, and school staff didn’t follow rules about leaving interior and exterior doors open and locked. As a result, the shooter was able to enter the school fairly easily through an unlocked door.