Authorities have yet to officially release video footage from the Uvalde elementary school shooting to the public, but local news outlets Austin American-Statesman and KVUE obtained the video and made it available to the public on Tuesday.
The video, posted on the two news media websites, gave the public its first opportunity to see what transpired on May 24, when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School, killing 21 people.
On Twitter, State Rep. Dustin Burrow said he anticipated releasing the footage following his upcoming meeting on Sunday with relatives in Uvalde. He said he was disappointed that the video came out ahead of time, but he was also “glad” that part of the video was available to the public.
The footage, over an hour long, shows what happened as law enforcement waited to enter that classroom. It was publicized by both media outlets to be transparent with the community. Out of respect for the victims and their families, KVUE has blurred portions of the video.
As shown in the video:
A truck crashes in front of Robb Elementary School, and the 18-year-old shooter, Salvador Ramos, can be seen making his way toward the school. Ramos is then seen entering the school and making his way with a rifle down a hallway to a classroom.
The shooter then opens fire in the direction of the classroom before going inside. The audio portion of the footage has been edited to remove the screams of the victims.
A male student can be seen for a brief moment around the corner from the gunman. The child witnesses the first gunshots in the school before fleeing, seemingly uninjured. Based on the video, it does not appear that the gunman saw the boy.
The first armed law enforcement officers are seen in the footage entering the school hallway three minutes after the shooter. The officers run toward the classroom, but more shots are heard, prompting the officers to turn around and return to the end of the hallway.
Then, for the majority of the remaining video, heavily-armed law enforcement officers are seen walking back and forth in the hallway, some disappearing from view briefly before reappearing, some aiming their weapons at the classroom, talking on their cellphones, sending texts, and looking at floor plans, but not actually entering or attempting to enter the classrooms.
At one point, one of the officers stops to sanitize his hands from a dispenser in the hallway.
In the last few minutes, officers finally storm the room and kill the gunman.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the details surrounding the shooting continue to unfold. What was initially said has drastically changed from what the public knows now as an investigation proceeds, and the conflicting information has raised questions.
Families of the deceased and survivors have initiated lawsuits over alleged negligence that occurred that day. Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez is also suing the Texas Department of Safety (DPS) to gain access to records relating to the event.