Khloie Torres, a fourth-grade student at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, made a series of heart-wrenching 911 calls from inside her classroom during the shooting on May 24, 2022.
“Please, I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead. Oh, my God”, Khloie could be heard saying on the call.
When asked by the dispatcher if there were many people in the room with her, Khloie responded, “No, it’s just me and a couple of friends.A lot of people are,” she says, pausing briefly, “gone.”
The release of the 911 calls, along with body camera footage and surveillance videos, came after a legal battle between Uvalde city officials and news organizations.
The massacre, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers at Robb elementary school, is considered one of the worst school shootings in US history. The delayed response from law enforcement, with nearly 400 officers waiting over 70 minutes before confronting the gunman, has been widely criticized as a massive failure.
Families of the victims, such as Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old nephew Uziyah Garcia was killed, and Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jacklyn Cazares lost her life, expressed anger and frustration at the delayed release of information and the lack of accountability and transparency from authorities. They believed that a quicker response from law enforcement could have saved lives.
The police response involved a significant number of officers from various agencies, including the US Border Patrol, state police, and school and city police. Despite the presence of officers in the hallway, they struggled to establish a command post and coordinate their actions, as evidenced by the radio traffic focused on setting up a perimeter and controlling traffic. It wasn’t until 12:50 pm that a tactical team entered one of the classrooms and fatally shot the gunman, Salvador Ramos.
Investigations by the US justice department and other agencies have revealed numerous problems in law enforcement’s response, including a lack of urgency in establishing a command center, inadequate training, communication issues, and questionable prioritization of officers’ lives over those of the children and teachers.
Two responding officers, former Uvalde school Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales, now face criminal charges of child abandonment and endangerment, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
The tragedy led to families seeking accountability through lawsuits against law enforcement, social media, online gaming companies, and the gun manufacturer responsible for the rifle used by the gunman.
“Please, I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead. Oh, my God”, Khloie could be heard saying on the call.
When asked by the dispatcher if there were many people in the room with her, Khloie responded, “No, it’s just me and a couple of friends.A lot of people are,” she says, pausing briefly, “gone.”
The release of the 911 calls, along with body camera footage and surveillance videos, came after a legal battle between Uvalde city officials and news organizations.
The massacre, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers at Robb elementary school, is considered one of the worst school shootings in US history. The delayed response from law enforcement, with nearly 400 officers waiting over 70 minutes before confronting the gunman, has been widely criticized as a massive failure.
Families of the victims, such as Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old nephew Uziyah Garcia was killed, and Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jacklyn Cazares lost her life, expressed anger and frustration at the delayed release of information and the lack of accountability and transparency from authorities. They believed that a quicker response from law enforcement could have saved lives.
The police response involved a significant number of officers from various agencies, including the US Border Patrol, state police, and school and city police. Despite the presence of officers in the hallway, they struggled to establish a command post and coordinate their actions, as evidenced by the radio traffic focused on setting up a perimeter and controlling traffic. It wasn’t until 12:50 pm that a tactical team entered one of the classrooms and fatally shot the gunman, Salvador Ramos.
Investigations by the US justice department and other agencies have revealed numerous problems in law enforcement’s response, including a lack of urgency in establishing a command center, inadequate training, communication issues, and questionable prioritization of officers’ lives over those of the children and teachers.
Two responding officers, former Uvalde school Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales, now face criminal charges of child abandonment and endangerment, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
The tragedy led to families seeking accountability through lawsuits against law enforcement, social media, online gaming companies, and the gun manufacturer responsible for the rifle used by the gunman.
