Share
Commentary

Teacher's Fatal Mistake Allowed Uvalde Shooter Instant Access to Locked-Down School

Share

UPDATE, May 31, 2022: A lawyer for the teacher who was said to have propped open the side door to Robb Elementary School through which Salvador Ramos gained access to the school did not leave it propped open as Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said on Friday. She did initially prop it open, but kicked the rock away and shut the door, according to her attorney. The San Antonio Express-News confirmed the attorney’s claim with an anonymous “law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.”

Because this commentary was accurate based on the information provided by Texas authorities at the time of publication, The Western Journal has chosen to leave it whole and intact, with the addition of this updated information.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw revealed Friday that a teacher at Robb Elementary School had propped open a side door just minutes before a shooter entered through it and went on a deadly rampage.

In doing so, the teacher violated one of the basic tenets of school safety that may well have led to the needless deaths of 19 students and two teachers Tuesday.

McCraw began a timeline of events that led to the murder saying, “At 11:27 — we know from video evidence, 11:27 — suspected [location] of where we knew the shooter entered, [Salvador] Ramos, was propped open by a teacher.”

One minute later Ramos crashed a pickup truck he was driving into a ditch near the school.

McCraw recounted at this time the same teacher walked back to the exterior door and again left it open.

Trending:
Hillary Clinton Jumps Into Trump 'Bloodbath' Frenzy with a Question, Doesn't Want to Hear the Answers

At 11:31, Ramos began shooting into classrooms from the outside of the school.

Soon thereafter, a school resource officer arrived on scene in response to a 911 call from the school.

Contrary to reports earlier this week, no police officer was present on campus when the shooter first arrived, McCraw said.

The school resource officer did not spot Ramos hiding behind a vehicle in the school parking lot.

At 11:33, the suspect entered the school through the propped open door and began firing, shooting more than 100 rounds at that time.

Two minutes later, three Uvalde police officers entered the school through the same door Ramos used. Within minutes, a total of 19 officers were in the school.

Ramos fired at the officers, grazing some, according to McCraw.

Related:
Federal Gun-Grabbers Hate What Missouri Is Doing in Wake of Super Bowl Rally Shooting

The officers took cover and awaited resources to breach the classroom that Ramos had locked himself inside.

Officers were able to get keys to the classroom from a janitor at the school.

At 12:50, members of a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team using ballistic shields entered the classroom and shot and killed Ramos.

McCraw attributed the over hour-long delay to a “wrong decision” by officers to go from active shooter protocol to that of a “barricaded suspect.”

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision, it was the wrong decision, period,” he said.

Andrew Pollack — the father of Meadow Pollack, who was murdered in the 2018 Parkland, Florida, high school shooting — said he was “so angry” after learning of Tuesday’s elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, because it could have been prevented.

The school safety advocate offered a three-point plan to make schools safer: have an armed guard, a single point of entry and teacher training.

At least two of his three recommendations were not followed. There was not a single, controlled point of entry, and no armed guard nor police officer was present.

“Even a single point of entry would have prevented it. … This didn’t have to happen today,” Pollack told Fox News host Laura Ingraham Tuesday night.

Robb Elementary School was reportedly supposed to have a single point of entry where those seeking to enter during school hours must be buzzed in, but the propped open door negated the protocol.

Given that the shooter was captured on video dressed in black and wielding a rifle, it’s safe to say he would not have been given access had the protocol been followed.

Pollack exhorted parents to go to their kids’ schools and make sure the proper safety measures are in place.

“It’s the parents,” he said. “It’s your responsibility where you send your children to school.”

This teacher no doubt feels horrible about the decision he or she made, having no notion it would have such catastrophic consequences.

But hopefully, it will serve as a wake-up call for school personnel everywhere regarding the importance of following the school safety procedures.

The San Antonio Express-News confirmed the attorney’s claim

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , , ,
Share
Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




Conversation