Responders didn’t prioritize saving victims’ lives, report says
Responders failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety, report says
A preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee probing the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre outlined the multiple failures by several entities, including law enforcement responders wasting “precious time” securing their own safety instead of prioritizing “the rescue of innocent victims.”
“At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the report said.
The report added, “The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon.”
Law enforcement responders also failed to recognize that the situation was an “active shooter scenario,” the report said.
“Correcting this error should have sparked greater urgency to immediately breach the classroom by any possible means, to subdue the attacker, and to deliver immediate aid to survive victims. Recognition of an active shooter scenario also should have prompted responders to prioritize the rescue of innocent victims over the precious time wasted in a search for door keys, and shields to enhance the safety of law enforcement responders,” the report stated.
21 people were killed at Robb Elementary School. Here’s how their loved ones are remembering them.
From CNN’s Holly Yan, Harmeet Kaur, Melissa Alonso, Amir Vera and Sharif Paget
One of the 10-year-olds aspired to be a lawyer someday. Another loved video games and anything with wheels. And another was saving up for a trip to Disney World.
In the midst of their grief, family members are sharing photos and memories about the 19 students and two teachers killed when a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
- Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo was 10 years old, her cousin told the Washington Post. Austin Ayala told the paper the family is devastated after losing Nevaeh, whom he said put a smile on everyone’s face.
- Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares was killed along with her cousin, according to posts by her family on social media. Cazares’ family recently came together to celebrate her first Communion, her father said. “Through COVID, through the death of a family member a year ago, it brought us together and it was something beautiful,” he added. “And now, we’re being brought together, but it is in tragedy.”
- Makenna Lee Elrod loved to play softball, do gymnastics and spend time with her family, her aunt, told ABC. She was a natural leader and loved school. McCullough described her niece as “a light to all who knew her.”
- Jose Flores Jr. was an amazing kid and big brother to his siblings, his father Jose Flores Sr. told CNN. He said the 10-year-old loved baseball and video games. Jose Jr. wanted to be a police officer when he grew up because he wanted to protect others.
- Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia was nine years old and about to turn 10, family members told CNN affiliate KHOU. She loved the movie “Encanto,” cheerleading and basketball, according to her grandparents. They said she dreamed of becoming a teacher.
- Uziyah Garcia was “full of life,” according to an uncle, Mitch Renfro. He was 10-years-old and loved video games and anything with wheels. He leaves behind two sisters.
- Amerie Jo Garza had recently just turned 10 years old, and her family had fulfilled her birthday wishes by gifting her a phone, her father Angel Garza told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday. Garza eventually learned from two students that his daughter tried to use her new phone to call authorities during the shooting.
- Jayce Luevanos‘ grandfather Carmelo Quiroz told USA Today that the 10-year-old and his mother lived with him. He said Jayce was happy and loved. “He was our baby,” Quiroz said.
- Xavier Lopez was described as “funny, never serious” with a smile that “would always cheer anyone up,” his mother, Felicha Martinez, told The Washington Post. Just hours before he was killed, Lopez was lauded at Robb Elementary’s honor roll ceremony and couldn’t wait to go to middle school, his mother said.
- Tess Marie Mata had been saving money for a trip to Disney World with her family, her sister, Faith Mata, told The Washington Post. Tess was in the fourth grade and loved TikTok dances, Ariana Grande and the Houston Astros, Mata said.
- Maranda Mathis was a bright girl who was fun and spunky, Leslie Ruiz, who identified herself as a friend of Mathis’ mother, told The Washington Post. She said that her best friend was her brother and he was also at Robb Elementary when the shooting happened.
- Alithia Ramirez was in fourth grade and loved to draw, her father, Ryan Ramirez, told CNN affiliate KSAT. Alithia wanted to be an artist.
- Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez was 10 years old, family members told CNN affiliate KHOU-TV. Her family told the news station that she was in the same classroom as her cousin Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, who was also killed in the shooting.
- Maite Rodriguez dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Her mother, Ana Rodriguez, on Facebook that she was “sweet, charismatic, loving, caring, loyal, free, ambitious, funny, silly, goal driven” and her best friend.
- Lexi Rubio made the All-A honor roll and received a good citizen award, her parents Felix and Kimberly Rubio told CNN. They said they were proud of their daughter, who loved softball and basketball. She wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up.
- Layla Salazar loved to swim with her two older brothers, her family told CNN. She was an active child who loved to run, film Tik Tok videos and dance, her parents Vincent Salazar III and Melinda Alejandro Salazar said.
- Jailah Nicole Silguero enjoyed dancing and making TikTok videos, her mother Veronica Luevanos told CNN network partner, Univision.
- Eliahna “Elijah” Cruz Torres also was killed in the shooting, her aunt Leandra Vera told CNN. “Our baby gained her wings,” Vera said.
- Rojelio Torres was a “very intelligent, hard-working and helpful person. He will be missed and never forgotten,” his aunt Precious Perez told CNN affiliate KSAT.
- Eva Mireles was a fourth grade teacher at the school, family members told CNN. Mireles had been an educator for 17 years. Erica Torres recalled the care with which Mireles treated her son Stanley, who has autism, while he was in her third- and fourth grade classes. “She made you feel like she was only teaching your child,” Torres said. “Like there’s no other students but him. She made you feel so good.”
- Irma Garcia was a teacher, a wife and mother to four children. Garcia’s nephew, John Martinez, told The Washington Post that officials informed the family that she helped shield students from the gunfire. Two days after Garcia’s death, her husband, Joe, suffered a fatal heart attack, the Archdiocese of San Antonio told CNN. The pair’s family says he died of a broken heart.
Read more about the victims here.
CNN’s Jose Lesh, Amanda Jackson, Nicole Chavez, Chris Boyette, Sara Smart, Jeffrey Winter, Caroll Alvarado, David Williams, Sara Smart, Amanda Watts and Raja Razek contributed to this report.
Texas House speaker: Uvalde report gives “answers to the people who need it most”
From CNN’s Rosa Flores
Dade Phelan, speaker of the Texas House, said the Texas House investigative committee’s report provided the “most thorough and accurate information” on the May 24 Uvalde school massacre, in a tweet Sunday.
He added that the report “has provided answers to people who need it most.”
See Phelan’s full statement here:
First on CNN: Acting Uvalde Police chief on day of shooting has been placed on administrative leave
From CNN’s Matt Friedman and Shimon Prokupecz
Lt. Mariano Pargas, the acting chief of the Uvalde Police Department on the day of the shooting, has been placed on “administrative leave,” according to a statement by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.
In the statement, McLaughlin said, “the City has placed Lt. Mariano Pargas on administrative leave. Lt. Pargas was the acting Chief of Police for the City of Uvalde the day of the shooting. The City has a responsibility to evaluate the response to the incident by the Uvalde Police Department, which includes Lt. Pargas’ role as the acting Chief,” the statement says. “This administrative leave is to investigate whether Lt. Pargas was responsible for taking command on May 24th, what specific actions Lt. Pargas took to establish that command, and whether it was even feasible given all the agencies involved and other possible policy violations.”
He is the latest official to be reprimanded in relation to law enforcement’s response to the school shooting. The Texas House investigative committee’s report described law enforcement response as “lackadaisical.”
In late June, Uvalde school district police chief Pedro “Pete” Arredondo was placed on leave.
“Because of the lack of clarity that remains and the unknown timing of when I will receive the results of the investigations, I have made the decision to place Chief Arredondo on administrative leave effective on this date,” Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell said in a statement at the time.
CNN has reached out to Pargas for comment.
This post has been updated with a new statement from Mayor Don McLaughlin.
Families of Uvalde victims receive Texas committee report ahead of meeting with officials Sunday
From CNN’s Digital Photo Team
A preliminary report by a Texas House investigative committee on the Robb Elementary school massacre in Uvalde that left 21 dead was officially released Sunday and made available to victims’ families.
Families are expected to meet with the committee Sunday afternoon to discuss the 77-page report.
Here are some photos by photographer Lisa Krantz showing victims’ families today picking up the report in Uvalde.
Uvalde school police chief failed to assume his “responsibility of incident command,” report concludes
From CNN’s Elizabeth Joseph
A preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee probing the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre outlines multiple failures by several entities, including the “overall law enforcement response.”
First responders at the scene “lost critical momentum” by treating the situation as a “barricaded subject” scenario instead of an “active shooter” scenario, the report stated.
“Correcting this error should have sparked greater urgency to immediately breach the classroom by any possible means, to subdue the attacker, and to deliver immediate aid to survive victims. Recognition of an active shooter scenario also should have prompted responders to prioritize the rescue of innocent victims over the precious time wasted in a search for door keys, and shields to enhance the safety of law enforcement responders,” the report added.
Here are some of the other preliminary conclusions that the report made regarding the law enforcement response:
- There was no law enforcement on scene when the shooter “came over the fence and toward the school.”
- Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo “did not assume his pre-assigned responsibility of incident command,” and other officers on scene didn’t offer assistance with incident command.
- Arredondo stayed in the hallway where he lacked “reliable communication with other law enforcement and he was unable to effectively implement staging or command and control of the situation.”
- Arredondo didn’t have his radios with him, so was unaware of 911 dispatch conversations because of “his failure to establish a reliable method of receiving critical information outside the building.”
- “There was an overall lackadaisical approach by law enforcement at the scene. For many, this was because they were given and relied on inaccurate information. For others, they had enough information to know better.”
- The US Marshals arrived on scene around 12:20 p.m., approximately 30 minutes before the door was breached. They provided a rifle-rated shield.
More background: Arredondo was placed on administrative leave from the police department on June 22. He resigned from the Uvalde city council in early July.
Families of Uvalde victims are meeting with Texas House investigative committee members
From CNN’s Matt Friedman and Rosa Flores
Ater receiving the Texas House investigative committee’s preliminary report on the Robb Elementary School shooting, victims’ families are meeting with members of the investigative committee, sources with knowledge of the proceedings tell CNN.
The school district superintendent and other school staff were denied entry to the meeting by several families, according to one source, who described the meeting as “brutal … a lot of emotion.”
Robb Elementary had “recurring problems with maintaining its doors and locks,” report finds
Robb Elementary School had “recurring problems with maintaining its doors and locks,” according to the preliminary conclusions from a Texas House investigative committee’s report on the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde.
“In particular the locking mechanism to Room 111 was widely known to be faulty, yet it was not repaired,” the report said.
“Robb Elementary had a culture of noncompliance with safety policies requiring doors to be kept locked, which turned out to be fatal,” the report said.
Family members of Uvalde school shooter “uniformly refused to buy guns for him,” report says
From CNN’s Elizabeth Joseph
A preliminary report by the Texas House committee investigating the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre outlined information that was available about the shooter, Salvador Ramos.
According to the report, the shooter had an “unstable home life,” including a mother struggling with substance abuse issues and and no father figure. The shooter’s family “moved often and lived in relative poverty.”
Family members of the shooter knew that he was estranged from his mother and that leading up to his 18th birthday, “he asked for help in making straw gun purchases which would have been illegal.”
Family members “uniformly refused to buy guns for him,” the report stated.
Ramos also “struggled academically throughout his schooling,” the report said, adding that though he had “few disciplinary issues,” the school made “no meaningful intervention” before he was involuntary withdrawn for poor academic performance and excessive absences.
Some of the shooter’s social media contacts received messages from the shooter about guns suggesting he was going to “do something” they would be hearing about in the news
Finally, the report suggests that some social media users may have reported the shooter’s “threatening behavior” to social media platforms that “appear to have not done anything in response.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/uvalde-shooting-texas-house-report/h_4fbd467c0653888c679b5c9f22357c22
