Newly released police videos from the 2022 school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, show parents desperately begging officers to go inside and save their children. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the tragedy.
The footage was released on Tuesday, August 12, after years of legal battles over public access to the records, which had been kept by local authorities. The videos were obtained by the Associated Press and NBC News.
In the body camera footage, parents can be heard shouting at armed police waiting outside. One father said, “Either you go in there, or I’m going in there. My kids are in there.”
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Officers at the scene could be heard struggling to find the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. “We can’t see him at all,” one officer said, adding that Ramos was locked in a room with children.
Uvalde police chief Pete Arredondo can be heard in another clip pleading with Ramos, saying, “These are innocent children, sir. Please talk to me.” In a separate video, Ramos’ aunt begged police to stop him as she was held back from the scene.
After officers finally entered the classroom, several gunshots were heard, and Ramos was killed. Other officers ran into the room to provide medical help.
Ramos entered the school through an open back door on May 24, 2022, and opened fire in two fourth-grade classrooms. The police response to the shooting faced heavy criticism, especially after a 2024 Justice Department review found officers waited 77 minutes before confronting Ramos.
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In June 2024, Chief Arredondo was charged with 10 counts of child endangerment for his handling of the shooting, and former officer Adrian Gonzales was charged with 29 counts.
Records also showed deputies had visited Ramos’ home three months earlier after his mother said she was scared of him. They made two more visits just days before the shooting.
Family members, including Jesse Rizo, uncle of 9-year-old victim Jackie Cazares, pushed for the release of the records. Rizo said, “For those that are ready for it, I hope that it provides some kind of healing.”
