Nearly 400 officers were on the scene at the end of May at the shooting at a school in the American town of Uvalde, in which 21 people were killed. “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.
The police soon received a lot of criticism after the shooting for allegedly reacting too slowly. The report presented on Sunday is the most comprehensive attempt to date to determine why it took more than an hour for officers to stop the 18-year-old gunman. He shot and killed 19 students and two teachers.
The Texas parliament committee concludes that “law enforcement officers have failed to adhere to their training” and “have not put saving lives above their own safety.”
The researchers write in the 77-page document that the 376 police officers rushed to the school in a chaotic manner. This would have been a lack of clear leadership. According to the committee, the sense of urgency was also insufficient.
The committee also notes several shortcomings at the school itself. For example, the fence around the school building did not stop the shooter and the school staff did not comply with rules about leaving interior and exterior doors open and closed. As a result, the shooter was able to enter the school fairly easily through an unlocked door.