It's been seven weeks since a gunman opened fire inside Rob Elementary
School in Uvalde, Texas, Killings 19 Children and two teachers as
William Branham reports new surveillance footage out today.
Shares light on what happened inside the school on that tragic day
and a warning Some viewers may find this material disturbing.
Juni. It is still an open question why it took officers such a long
period of time to confront the shooter. Inside the school. This four
minute video compilation was released by the Austin American Statesman.
It was compiled from over 70 minutes of footage.
The video shows the shooter entering the school going down the hallway,
where he then shot over 100 rounds into two classrooms.
Three minutes later, the first officers arrive armed and in bulletproof
vests.
Their shot at and pull back.
Within about half an hour. Dozens of officers with long guns and
shields take up positions in the hallway. Later, more shots are heard
from down the hall 77 minutes in law enforcement, enters the classroom
and killed the gunman.
Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski is of the Austin American Statesman.
He acquired this never before and seated footage.
Tony Great to have you back on the news hour. I wonder this is such
a striking document of what we've all been wondering is what had
actually happened in there. What stands out the most to you from
this video?
I think First of all, just the image of a man walking so casually
into an elementary school and our country carrying an ar 15.
Certainly there has been much conversation and much reporting about
the law enforcement response. But I think that this video really
highlights that whatever happened that day began with that man and
an A R 15 walking into that school, But there are other striking
Ah moments as well, including a small child who apparently is X,
exiting the bathroom and peeks around the corner and sees the gunman
walking down the hall and then the sound of gunfire and he runs back.
Into the bathroom. But then again, just watching the law enforcement
officers in that hallway as yet more and more assault rifles are
brought to the hallway as more protective equipment arise as tear
gas canisters arrived. Experts say that they had more than enough.
Many minutes before they went into that school, more than enough
equipment and firepower to take on this gunman.
That delayed response has been blamed on the school district police
chief. But this video does show that there were local, state and
federal agencies all amassed in that hallway. This seems to undercut
some of the argument of blaming just one agency.
And and do we have any better sense of why it took them so long,
where that chain of command fell apart?
Was certainly William. Investigators in the head of the Texas Department
of Public Safety, has described this as a failure of law enforcement
and not singling out one particular agency. Keep in mind in the video
certainly substantiate this. And that is there were law enforcement
officers from the local community there in your body, as well as
state police.
And federal agents there as well. We know that ultimately it was
a team led by the border Patrol that breached that classroom door
at 12 50 Keep in mind. The gunman entered the school at 11 33 in
the morning.
Yes. This seems to sort of again knocked down the idea that the shooter
was no longer a threat. We heard shots after all the police were
inside there.
That this was still an active shooter and not a shooter who was barricaded
and didn't need to be confronted.
More and not only that William is also very much worth noting as
part of this that they were repeated 911 calls as well from Children
and adults alike, asking for help describing the extent of their
injuries and yet again so much time elapsed before we know
That they ultimately breach that classroom door really going against
what experts resoundingly say is the way law enforcement should handle
these types of situations.
And we know lastly, that parents and members of that community have
wanted to see this video and to understand what happened. Much better.
We know there was a rally in town on Sunday night, where many people
expressed
A real sense of distrust about the police. This seems like this is
only going to confound that concern.
Certainly there have been many calls for increased transparency among
the families of the victims of what happened that terrible day. And,
frankly, that helped drive our decision to publish and air this video
as we have done today.
Tony Plohetski of the Austin American Statesman again. Thank you
so much for your superb reporting.