Uvalde elementary college capturing: 11 officers responded inside 3 minutes, supply says, as new stories reveal how authorities then waited to have interaction Gadgetfee

After the gunman fired at officers and holed up in connecting school rooms 111 and 112, the place he shot and killed 19 college students and two academics, officers remained stationed in an adjoining hallway.

Arredondo, who has been recognized by different officers because the incident commander on scene, had beforehand informed the Texas Tribune that officers had discovered the classroom doorways have been locked and bolstered with a metal jamb, hindering any potential response or rescue. Efforts have been made to find a key to unlock the door, he mentioned.

But preliminary proof suggests not one of the officers had tried to open both of the doorways till moments earlier than taking down the gunman, in keeping with the supply and revealed amongst different particulars in reporting from the Texas Tribune and the Austin American-Statesman.

The college police chief and native authorities have confronted fierce criticism over the size of time elapsed earlier than the gunman was killed and first responders have been capable of attain the victims. The gunman entered one of many school rooms at 11:33 a.m. and started firing, in keeping with a timeline from the Texas Division of Public Security, and was there when he was killed by officers at 12:50 p.m.

A overview of surveillance footage and transcripts of radio visitors and cellphone calls by the Tribune — which says particulars have been confirmed by a senior official on the state’s DPS — put the gunman capturing inside classroom 111, briefly strolling out the door, then reentering and opening hearth.

Inside moments of the gunfire burst, 11 officers arrived on the scene, in keeping with the Tribune report and confirmed by the legislation enforcement supply to CNN.

Arredondo known as the Uvalde Police Division’s dispatch by cellphone shortly after the gunman fired at officers, in keeping with the supply, requesting additional help and saying he didn’t have his radio on him.

The Tribune notes that “by the point Arredondo known as dispatch, no less than 11 officers had entered the varsity and no less than two are seen within the video carrying rifles. However Arredondo informed the dispatcher that he did not have the firepower to confront the lone gunman.”

One safety footage picture obtained by the Austin American-Statesman reveals no less than three officers within the hallway — two of whom have rifles and one officer who seems to have a tactical defend — at 11:52 a.m., 19 minutes after the gunman entered the varsity.

“If there’s children in there, we have to go in there,” one officer mentioned, in keeping with the American-Statesman. One other officer responded, “Whoever is in cost will decide that.”

Officers had entry to 4 ballistic shields inside the varsity, the Tribune mentioned citing a legislation enforcement transcript, the fourth of which arrived half-hour earlier than officers stormed the school rooms.

Within the first minutes of their response, an officer additionally mentioned a Halligan, a firefighting device that’s used for forcible entry, was on scene, in keeping with the Tribune. Nonetheless, the device wasn’t introduced into the varsity till an hour after officers arrived and was by no means used, the Tribune mentioned.

Towards the tip of the standoff, in keeping with the legislation enforcement supply, Arredondo puzzled aloud whether or not officers would contemplate “popping him via the window.” A physique digital camera transcript confirmed Arredondo indicating to different officers at 12:46 p.m. that if a SWAT response group was prepared, they need to breach the door, an motion that got here 4 minutes later.

CNN has reached out to each Arredondo’s legal professional, George Hyde, and the Uvalde Police Division relating to the stories.

McCraw is because of describe proof taken from surveillance video inside the varsity, and also will deliver a bodily door from Robb Elementary to display its locking mechanism, in keeping with the legislation enforcement supply near the investigation.