>> THE PRINCIPLE OF ROBB ELEMENTA SCHOOL IN UVALDE,
TEXAS, SPEAKING OUT EXCLUSIVELY TO CNN IN THE AFTERMATH OF A
MASS SHOOTING THAT KILLED 19 CHILDREN AND TWO OF THEIR
TEACHERS. MANDY GUTIERREZ, WHO HAS BEEN
PUT ON PAID LEAVE, PENDING AN INVESTIGATION, SAYS SHE STANDS
BY HER ACTIONS ON THAT FATEFUL DAY AND THAT SHE FOLLOWED HER
TRAINING. SHE ALSO SAYS THAT ACCUSATION
SHE WAS LAX ABOUT SCHOOL SECURITY ARE UNFAIR AND
INACCURATE. MORE TONIGHT FROM CNN'S ROSA
FLORES. >> WHEN I WAS CALLING CHIEF
ARREDONDO, I HEARD THREE SHOTS. THE INITIAL THREE SHOTS.
>> THE PRINCIPLE OF ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN UVALDE
BREAKING HER SILENCE AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT
ALLEGATIONS OF LAX SECURITY AT THE SCHOOL.
>> I BELIEVE THAT I DID MY JOB TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES.
>> WHILE ON FORSMAN'S HANDLING OF THAT ILL-FATED DAY HAS SEEN
THE MOST SCRUTINY UP TO NOW, THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS --
>> THEY DON'T GIVE A DARN ABOUT OUR CHILDREN OR US.
>> TURNING THEIR CARLES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY TOWARDS THE
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL,
WHO SAYS SHE WAS SUSPENDED WITH PAY THIS, WEEK PENDING A FOR
PERFORMANCE REVIEW RELATING TO CAMPUS SECURITY.
LAST SCHOOL YEAR WAS HER FIRST SCHOOLYARD'S PRINCIPLE.
>> EVERY -- STARTING AT THAT SCHOOL,
[INAUDIBLE] NEEDS TO BE GONE.
ALL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETS BEGUN.
>> I BELIEVE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION.
I FOLLOWED THE TRAINING THAT I WAS PROVIDED WITH, TO THE BEST
OF MY ABILITIES. >> THE TEXAS HOUSE
INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT REVEALED THAT ROBB ELEMENTARY
HAD A CULTURE OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY POLICIES, REQUIRING
DOORS TO BE KEPT LOCKED, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE FATAL.
GUTIERREZ RESPONDING TO THAT CRITICISM --
>> WAS THERE A CULTURE OF NONCOMPLIANCE AT ROBB
ELEMENTARY? >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
ANY TIME THAT AN ALERT WENT OUT, ANY EVERY SINGLE TEACHER AROUND
THAT CAMPUS TO TOOK IT TO MEAN IT COULD BE A POTENTIAL
ESCALATING SITUATION. AND SO EVERYBODY FOLLOWS
PROTOCOL. >> SO, YOU DISAGREE WITH THE
FINDINGS OF THE TEXAS HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT?
>> I DISAGREE. >> ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS HOUSE
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT, A COACH THAT WAS SOMEWHERE ON SCHOOL
PROPERTY, SAW THE GUNMAN JUMPED THIS FENCE.
SHE USED HER RADIO TO REPORT IT.
THE PRINCIPAL HEARD THE CALL AND TRIED TO INITIATE A
LOCKDOWN USING A SOFTWARE APPLICATION BUT THE WI-FI WAS
BAD AND SHE DID NOT USE THE SCHOOL INTERCOM.
>> THEY COULD POTENTIALLY MAGNIFY A SITUATION.
>> THAT'S THE DOOR THAT THE GUNMAN USED TO ENTER THE SCHOOL,
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED.
HAD THE DOOR BEEN LOCKED, AS THE POLICY REQUIRED, IT WOULD
HAVE LIKELY SLOWED DOWN THE GUNMAN.
INSTEAD, SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWED THE GUNMAN WALKED INTO
THE BUILDING THROUGH AN UNLOCKED DOOR.
WHY WAS THAT DOOR UNLOCKED THAT DAY?
>> I AM NOT SURE WHY THAT DOOR WAS UNLOCKED.
>> SO, THAT DOOR WAS NORMALLY LOCKED DURING THE DAY?
>> ALWAYS LOCKED. >> ALWAYS?
>> YES. >> THEN, WALKED INTO A
CLASSROOM, WHICH WAS LIKELY UNLOCKED, ACCORDING TO THE
REPORT. THE REPORT ALSO STATES THAT THE
PRINCIPAL, TEACHERS AND EVEN MANY FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS
WIDELY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM WITH A LOCK TO ROOM 111.
BUT NO ONE PLACE TO WORK ORDER TO REPAIR THE LOCK --
NOT THE PRINCIPLE, NOT ANYONE ELSE.
GUTIERREZ DISPUTES THAT ACCOUNT.
>> WOULD I KNOW FOR A FACT IS THAT THE DOOR TO ROOM 111 DID,
IN FACT, LOCK. >> IT DID?
>> THE TEACHER HAS TO USE THE KEY TO ENTER.
>> SO, SOMEHOW, THE REPORT SAYS THAT IT WAS LIKELY UNLOCKED.
SO, SOMEHOW, IT COULD HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED ON THAT TODAY.
>> IT'S POSSIBLE. >> SOME OF THE FAMILIES OF THE
VICTIMS SAY, ANY SAFETY LAPSES WERE INEXCUSABLE.
>> WHAT DID YOU TELL HER? >> WE FAILED OUR CHILDREN.
YOU FAILED OUR CHILDREN. >> [INAUDIBLE]
CLOSE TO MY STAFF. AND MY STUDENTS.
AND MANY OF THEIR FAMILIES. IT'S AN UNIMAGINABLE PAIN, TO
KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH US ANYMORE.
THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE MISSING THEIR LOVED ONES, EVERY SINGLE
DAY. >> THE TEXAS HOUSE
INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE STANDING BY THEIR REPORT, THE
CHAIRMAN ISSUING A STATEMENT TO CNN, SAYING, THAT THAT IS BASED
ON TESTIMONY FROM MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS, FROM MULTIPLE
AGENCIES. AS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, A
SPOKES PERSON DID RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST FOR COMMENT.
BUT SAID THAT THEY ARE TOO SWAMPED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.