Cronkite school of journalism at
Arizona state university.
Nick: In uvalde it will take two
full weeks for the community to
hold funerals for the 21 lives
lost in the school shooting.
Etch even as the greeing
continue, the community is
awaiting reports about the law
enforcement response.
There are serious divides about
the need for more action on gun
safety and gun laws.
William brangham speaks with a
state lawmaker in uvalde.
William: There was been new
questions seemingly every day
about how the tragedy occurred,
how police responded what
accountability may look like,
and what changes ought to be
implemented going forward.
Democratic state senator Roland
Gutierrez represents uvalde and
he is there now.
State senator, thank you so much
for being here.
I know you have been meeting
with the families and talking
with a lot of them.
Can you give us a sense of how
they're doing amidst this
horribleness?
>> The families that I have
visited are just devastated.
The community is devastated.
I've seen little kids that were
in that school.
That are just -- they can't --
they're frozen.
They're just stuck.
I get it.
I understand it.
It was the same kind of shell
shock that we had as a state, we
had as a country last week but
these folks are just living it
day after day.
William: I can't imagine having
to deal with the enormous grief
they're having to deal with but
also what I imagine must be the
anger at what they have been
learning about the police
response and how are they
juggling those two emotions same
simultaneously?
>> You know, they're very angry
at everything that's going on.
They're certainly angry at the
police response.
They're angry at the fact that
they're not getting, you know,
any specific answers.
One day they're told one thing,
the next day they hear another
story.
Yesterday it was about the door,
they were trying to point the
finger at the teacher.
We find out the teacher indeed
did close the door.
Last week initially we heard it
was the local police chief and
everybody is pointing the
finger at him.
I don't know the man.
I think that every law
enforcement unit failed to
adhere to the protocols on
active shooters.
William: There have been
conflicting reports about this
investigation and some reports
that local police may not be
cooperating with state
investigators.
Are you confident that this
investigation will be done in
the correct way?
>> It's unfortunate, it seems to
me like we're living in a world
where we hear one thing one day,
the following we hear the
opposite.
We have finger points of one
investigative unit and I think
that every one of these law
enforcement entities has to --
has some responsibility.
We're not getting any
conclusive.
I asked for a full report as to
where each individual unit where
each officer was at the time.
I was supposed to get that
Friday.
Today I was told that that may
not happen while they develop
further investigations.
I'm demanding that we get this
report.
This community is demanding it.
I'm demanding that we get it
soon.
William: Much of the
conversation has also been about
how we deal with guns in
America.
To prevent events like this the
next time around.
Are there specific things you
would like to see done?
>> It's very clear.
Number one, I called for a
special session.
The governor today called for a
special committee hearing.
Those things are not the same.
There's really no such thing as
a special committee hearing.
We have interim committee
hearings.
From the action he's called
today, no action will be able to
be taken.
We need to get back into the
legislature to establish a
minimum age of 21 on assault
rifles.
It is astounding to me that an
18-year-old can have access to
militarized weaponry.
We need to have red flag laws.
We need to be able establish
waiting periods.
Those are reasonable things that
can help prevent this type of
tragedy.
William: Your state, as you well
know, has been moving in the
opposite direction in recent
years.
All of the things you're talking
about are largely anathema to
the republican-controlled
legislature in your state are.
You confident that your voice
will be heard more forcefully
now because of this tragedy?
>> It seems like there is a
feeling now in Texas that is
calling for change both with
Democrats and Republicans.
The real answer is, is Greg
Abbott going to do anything this
time in this is now the seventh
massacre.
Every time we have one of these
all he does is expand access to
militarized weaponry.
I can only hope and pray, I'm
going to keep doing my work to
make sure we get change.
William: State senator Roland
Gutierrez, thank you for joining
us.