UVALDE, Texas — Children inside a Texas elementary school begged the police to enter their classroom and save them, repeatedly calling 911, as a team of 19 police officers waited in the corridor for an hour because a commander believed the situation had shifted from active shooter to a barricaded subject, a Texas law enforcement officer said Friday.
“Of course, it wasn’t the right decision. Period,” Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said at a news conference.
With 19 officers inside, McCraw said, there were “plenty of officers to do whatever needed to be done.” But the commander inside decided the team needed more equipment and officers to perform a tactical breach. He said the team did not move to take out the gunman until a full Border Patrol tactical unit arrived.
