Texas Authorities Say "Police Who Did Not Immediately Enter Made Wrong Judgment"... Admit Failure in Responding to Shooting Incident

Public Security Director: "Police Commanders Misjudged Situation in Hostage Standoff"... Apology for Police Response Failure

Grandmother sobbing while holding a photo of her granddaughter who was a victim of the Texas shooting [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] The Texas Department of Public Safety admitted failure in responding to the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, where 21 people, including 19 children, were killed, stating that the police made wrong decisions during the incident.

The Washington Post (WP) and others reported that Steve McCraw, the head of the Department of Public Safety, announced this at a press conference on the 27th local time.

Director McCraw said that the police commander at the time misjudged the situation on site, mistakenly interpreting it as a hostage standoff rather than a shooting spree, adding, "Of course, it was realized belatedly, but it was not right and was a wrong decision."

He continued, saying the police commander believed that the shooter, Salvador Ramos, was barricaded in a classroom holding hostages, and "the commander was confident that there was no further threat to the children and that there was time to respond," adding, "The police should have entered as quickly as possible," and apologized for the police's failure to respond.

Director McCraw explained that although gunshots were heard immediately after Ramos entered the classroom, 19 police officers waited for 48 minutes outside the classroom hallway, during which sporadic shootings occurred, and it was not confirmed how many children died during that time.

He also said that while the police did not enter the classroom, terrified children called 911 to request immediate police intervention.

Director McCraw stated that while the police response was delayed, armed Border Patrol agents arrived and eventually used a master key to open the locked classroom door and fatally shot Ramos.