Police didn’t rush Uvalde gunman because they feared his AR-15, despite some of them carrying the same weapon

During the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas in the spring of 2022, police officers avoided entering the classroom where the shooter, Salvador Ramos, was located and waited for an hour before confronting him. An investigation revealed that the hesitation was due to their fear of his AR-15, despite some of the officers carrying the same weapon.

After entering the hallway outside the classroom, the officers were concerned about how to proceed. One officer can be heard on radio communication saying, “What’s the safest way to do this? I’m not trying to get clapped out.” Ramos fired shots at the officers, and three of them were grazed in the head. They then retreated outside, where Uvalde Police Department Sgt. Daniel Coronado warned the others that Ramos had an AR-15.

Officers said they chose to wait for a Border Patrol SWAT team to arrive, even though the unit was based more than 60 miles away, as they had more protective body armor, stronger shields, and more tactical training. Ramos went on to kill 19 students and two teachers while injuring 17 others.

Many have criticized the law enforcement response to the mass shooting as weak, cowardly, and inept. Some officers argued that had they gone into the classroom and confronted Ramos with bullets blazing, it would have led to even more deaths, while others claimed that the law enforcement officers should have acted more decisively.

Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who led the officers in their response to the shooting on that spring day, was fired in August, three months after the shooting. Families of survivors filed a $27 billion lawsuit in December against law enforcement over the response to the shooting, and in November, parent Sandra Torres filed a federal lawsuit against local police, the school district, and the manufacturer of the gun used in the massacre.