Police in Uvalde, Texas, have defended their handling of a school shooting on Tuesday in which 19 children and two teachers were killed in the face of mounting criticism from parents and local residents over the time taken to bring the massacre to an end.
In a press conference on Thursday, Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Victor Escalon said that the window of about an hour in which the 18-year-old perpetrator Salvador Ramos was on the grounds of Robb Elementary School before he was killed by police was due to a wait for back-up officers and resources.
“During this time that they’re making those calls to bring in help to solve this problem and stop it immediately, they’re also evacuating . . . students, teachers,” Escalon said. “There’s a lot going on. A complex situation. They’re measuring, they’re measuring.”