Witnesses to the massacre at a school in Uvalde, Texas, complained this Thursday (26) of what they point out as a delay by the police to neutralize the shooter, who would have stayed inside the educational institution for at least 40 minutes before being killed by security agents.
The attack was carried out by Salvador Ramos, who shot dead 19 children and two adults. He had a adolescence marked by bullying and family problems and bought the guns shortly after turning 18.
“There were at least 40 law enforcement officers armed to the teeth, but they didn’t do anything until it was too late,” Jacinto Cazares told ABC News. He says he ran to the school when he heard about the shooting and found his daughter Jacklyn dead.
“The situation could have ended quickly if [os agentes de segurança] had better tactical training. We, as a community, were first-hand witnesses,” said Cazares.
Relatives of the victims said they unsuccessfully pleaded with the officers to enter the school and stop the massacre. Daniel Myers and his wife Matilda, both local pastors, told the AFP news agency that they saw the parents become hysterical as police waited for backup before entering the school.
“The parents were desperate,” said Daniel, 72. “They were willing to go in [na escola]. One person said, ‘I’ve been in the Army, just give me a gun and I’ll go in. I won’t hesitate.'”
Raul Ortiz, head of the US Border Patrol, denies that officers hesitated. “They came up with a plan. They went into that classroom and took care of the situation as quickly as they could,” he told CNN.
Authorities claim that the shooter, at first, exchanged fire with one of the security agents, but managed to escape. Afterwards, the criminal, who was wearing bulletproof protection, entered a classroom and set up a barricade. The guards removed as many students as possible, including breaking windows in the teaching center.
Outside the school, a makeshift memorial was made with wooden crosses and the names of the victims. Dora Mendoza was one of the people who attended the scene to honor the victims. Her granddaughter Amerie Garza, 10, was murdered during the massacre.
“[As autoridades] must do something. Please don’t forget about the children. I beg you to listen,” asked Mendoza. “[Amerie] she was an innocent girl who liked school and was looking forward to summer. My soul hurts because I won’t be able to see it anymore.”
Also on Thursday, Joe Garcia, 50, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the teachers killed during the attack, died after suffering a heart attack. The information was shared by the woman’s nephew on social media.
“Extremely moved and with deep sadness I come to inform you that my Aunt Irma’s husband, Joe Garcia, has passed away due to grief. I really have no words to describe how we are feeling. Please pray for our family,” wrote John. Martinez on social media.
According to The New York Times, Garcia visited the memorial in honor of the victims on Thursday to leave flowers. He had been married to Irma for 24 years and had four children.
The abuser’s mother, Adriana Reyes, told ABC News that her son became aggressive when he was angry, but that he was “not a monster”.
“We all feel angry,” said Reyes, who said he was unaware that his son had bought weapons.
A teacher who was at the school and spoke to NBC on condition of anonymity said her students were watching a Disney movie to celebrate the end of the school year, which would end on Thursday, when they heard gunshots in the hallway.
She asked the children to take cover under their desks and hurriedly closed the classroom door. “They knew it wasn’t an exercise,” the teacher said, referring to the so-called active shooting exercises common in American schools.
Afterwards, police officers broke the windows of the room and removed the children from the place.
US President Joe Biden is due to visit Uvalde in the coming days and urged lawmakers to stand up to what he calls the US’ “powerful gun lobby” and pass “common-sense gun reforms”.
The massacre in Uvalde is considered the worst in a children’s institution in the US in nearly ten years.
