Official says kids called 911 during Texas school shooting: ‘Please send the police now’

Official says kids called 911 during Texas school shooting: ‘Please send the police now’

Updated: 1:58 PM EDT May 27, 2022

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

Good morning. Thank you for being here today. My name is steven McCraw Director of text department Public safety On Tuesday, the district attorney for the 38th Judicial District. We’re seeing *** Mitchell requested that the texas rangers under the Department of Public safety assume lead responsibility of this horrific Murder of 19 innocent Child and two adults. Our goal today is to provide the parents, the community of Vivaldi, the public as much information as we can and where we are on the investigation. We’re here to report the facts as we know them now, not to defend what was done or to criticize what was done or the actions taken. I’ll begin first and foremost with the timeline as we know it. Second, the second time Lionel discusses the 911 timeline and then we’ll talk about the relevant social or digital media footprint of the subject. It will also have plenty of time for questions at that point 11 27 We know from video evidence. At 11:27 the exterior door suspected what the where we knew the shooter entered. Ramos was propped open by *** teacher. 11 28. The suspect vehicle crashes into the ditch as previously described. The teacher runs to the room 132 to retrieve *** phone and that same team. Teacher walks back to the exit door and door remains propped open. Were two males as reported by regional director escalon. Yesterday there were two males at *** funeral home that when he heard the crash, they went to the crash scene. When they arrived at the crash scene before they got there they saw *** man with *** gun exit the passenger side with *** backpack. They immediately began running. We’re almost began shooting at him. Did not hit him. One of the males fell when he was running. Both males return to the funeral home while they’re running. And then again we see through video Teacher re emerges inside the school and the panic and apparently calls 911 911 call at 11:30. There was *** crash man with *** gun. 11 31. The suspect reaches the last row of vehicles in the school parking lot. 11:31. The suspect shooting began at the school while patrol vehicles. I got to the funeral home. I’ll point out where it is. Yeah crashed vehicles over here suspect sliding behind *** vehicle, started walking down shooting into the classroom. Mhm. There was discussion early on that in I. S. D. Consulted I. S. D. For you baldy had officer was *** resource officer and had confronted the subject that did not happen. As rDS cologne talked about yesterday. It was certainly stated in preliminary interviews but often these preliminary interviews. And of course we walked through it doesn’t reveal the type of information and certainly you know police officers like anyone else under stress. Sometimes witnesses get it wrong. But the bottom line is that officer was not on scene not on campus But had heard the 911 call with *** man with *** gun and drove immediately to the area, sped to what he thought was the man with *** gun to the back of the school and would turn out to be *** teacher and not the suspect in doing so. He drove right by the suspect who was hunkered down behind the vehicle where he began shooting at the school. 11 31. The suspect shooting in between the vehicle is when it began, patrol vehicle gets to the funeral home Multiple shots were fired outside the school at 1131. Patrol car accelerates in the parking lot, drives by the shooter. That’s exactly what I was talking about. That was the I. S. D. Officer at that time He passes and leaves the camera view. There was multiple shots fired at the school at 1132. At 11:30- 27. 11:30- 36. At 1133 is when the suspect entered the school at the door that I’m pointing to. Now 11:33. The suspect begins shooting in the room 1 11 or 1 12. It’s not possible to determine from the video angle that we have at this point in time. We do know this that he shot more than 100 rounds based on the audio evidence At that time. At least 100 rounds heater 11 33 or 11 33. He started shooting in the classrooms. Well at 1 11 and 1 12 And 1135, 3 police officers entered the same doors. The suspect entered. All three of those police officers work for the Boulder Police Department. They were later followed by another four, The team of Vivaldi police officers, three and also *** county sheriff, county deputy sheriff. So *** total of seven officers were on the scene. The three initial police officers that arrived Went directly to the door and two received grazing wounds at that time from the suspect. Well, the door was closed. 1137. There was more gunfire. Another 16 rounds was fired at 11:37 one at 11:37 And 16 seconds. 1138, 1140, 1144, 1151. Police sergeant and USB agents started to arrive At 1203. You know, officers get, continue to arrive in the hallway And there was many as 19 officers at that time in that Hallway. At 1215, we know that Vortec members arrive. Not the entire vortex, but members of the vortex along with shields. At 12 21 the suspect fired again was believed to be at the door. 1121. Law Enforcement moved down the Hallway. 11 50. They breached the door using keys that they’re able to get from the janitor because both doors were locked. The both of the classrooms that he shot into were locked when officers arrived, they killed *** suspect at that time. And now I’d like to go over the 911 timeline, I’ll warn you it’s not, it’s better than I read it. Then you listen to it. Okay. They called her identified. I will not say her name But she was in room 112 called 911 at 1203. The duration of the call was one minute 23 seconds. She identified herself and whispered she’s in room 1 12 12 10. She called back In room 12 advisor multiple dead 12 13 Again. She called on the phone again at 12:16. She’s called back and said there was 8-9 students alive. 12 19 The 911 call was made And another person in room 1 11 calls. Well that’s her name. She hung up with another student told her to hang up. 12 21 you can hear Over the 911 call for three shots were fired at 1236. 911 call. It lasted for 21 seconds. The initial caller called back student child called back. I was told to stay on the line and be very quiet. She told 9-1 That he shot the door at approximately 1243 and 1247. She asked 9112, please send the police now At 1246. She said she could not she that she could hear the police next door At 1250 shots are fired, that could be heard. The 91 call and 1251 is very loud and sounds like the officers are moving Children out of the room at that time. The first call that called was outside before the call cuts off conditional information That we have is that there are 58 total magazines at the school Related to the crime scene. 11 of those magazines were inside the school three were on the suspect’s body. two in room 1 12 6 inside room 1 11 five were on the ground. One was in the Rifle 32 magazines outside the school But on school property one just outside the school building and 31 and the suspect’s backpack that he did not take into the classrooms with him. There was 15 magazines at the crash site. There are two magazines. The suspect’s residence. For *** total of 60 magazines He had purchased and had *** total of 1,657 total rounds of ammunition. 315, of those rounds were inside the school. 142 of those were spent cartridges. 173 were live rounds. 922 were outside of the school. But on school property 22 of those were spent cartridges, 900 we’re live rounds. 422 were at the crash site. 22 were spent cartridges. 420 those are live rounds There’s 35 spent law enforcement cartridge total in the school eight of those were in the hallway, 27 were inside the classroom 1 11 where the suspect was killed. I mentioned that we’re gonna go over quickly. My digital timeline we talked about early and I want to correct something that was, that was said early on in the investigation. Is that that he posted okay on facebook publicly that he was going to kill him. He was going to shoot his grandmother that and secondly after that that he was going to that he had shot her and the third that he was gonna go shoot up *** school. That did not happen. It was actually on *** message was *** facebook applications messenger application to somebody else that he had *** conversation with. We know that through his digital media footprint and I’ll just go by, I’ll just do it by date time. Ramos asked his sister To help him buy *** gun. She flatly refused. That was in September of 21 he made I’ll avoid some of these and get to the he had instagram afford group check and it was discussed that were almost being *** school shooter. That was on February 28 of 2022 On March one, There was an Instagram he had with four people of the Chat. He discussed him buying *** gun On three March 2022 there’s another four person chat quotations word on the street because you’re buying *** gun. Ramos replied just bought something or in on March 14th and there was instagram posting by the subject And quotations 10 more days user replied, are you going to shoot up schools or something? The subject replied no and stop asking dumb questions and you will see, I know you have many questions and I have agreed to stay as long as we can and answer as many of those questions that we can if I can’t answer because we don’t know definitively right now, I’ll simply say that and it continues to be *** preliminary investigation. You know, literally, you know, certainly over hundreds of interviews have been conducted will continue to be conducted and there’s thousands of leaves that are being pursued not not consecutively, but concurrently. And thanks to our federal and local partners and I do want to mention behind me, we’ve got the FBI special agent in charge, We also have an 80 s special agent in charge or and of course, who else? When I got behind? Okay with texas rangers, if there’s any specifics that I haven’t covered that, I might need their particular support on. I do want to cover one thing quickly though, before I go to questions and that’s some of the questions that we received that we have already received and one of those is going around now that there’s that in fact the subject had been one of the two arrested by the texas rangers in the local police back in 20,018. That’s not the case. He was not one of the individuals. In fact, we have found no links association in relationships in that investigation. Clearly it was *** threat. It was back in 2018. The other two juveniles were charged Was attempted or conspiracy to commit capital murder. There’s no question that we thought we had evidence and certainly the district attorney agreed that these juveniles 1 13, 1, 14 years old was *** threat to your body. And there was *** discussion at that time, even the senior year of the one that was 14 years old, which would make it 2022. However, that was not the subject questions. That’s right. Yeah. Well, one thing I want to say, one thing I failed to say is that when we’re done, we have Tony pena with us. He’s going to translate into spanish. Okay, what the answers and the questions are afterwards. Okay. It’s like you’re saying what three, five get him none at that time. Why the, the on scene commander at the time, I believe that it had transitioned from an active shooter to *** barricaded subject. Yeah. Why? Sure, same. Okay. Risk. Hey, we’re, well, we’re well aware of that. Want to go in again. You know, the on scene commander considered *** barricaded subject and that there was time and there were no Children or Children at risk. Obviously obviously, you know, based upon the information we have, there were Children in that classroom that were at risk and it was in fact still an active shooter situation and not *** barricaded subject, It’s such *** spectrum, yep, don’t get me, How do you live? Yeah, right. The question simply is this, It was *** 40 minute gap And if the 911 operators were aware that the Children were alive in that classroom, why weren’t officers notified of that? And if that’s the case, why didn’t he take action? That’s the question. And again, I’ll go back to the answer right now, is that that it was considered okay. The decision was made on the scene. I wasn’t there at the same point in time, you know, *** decision was made that this was *** barricaded subject situation, there was time to retrieve the keys and wait for *** tactical team with the equipment to go ahead and breach the door and take on the subject at that point, that was the decision. That was the thought process. That particular point in time, were they? What what about your parents? There was 19, like I said, there were 19 officers in there. In fact, there was plenty of officers to do whatever needed to be done with. One exception is that the incident commander inside believed they needed more equipment and more officers to do *** tactical breach at that point, that’s why Vortex was requested on the scene. As soon as they were there, they executed *** search released *** dynamic entry And went in and of course that was not, that was not till 1257. Yeah. Hey, hey, hey, with the benefit of hay, with the benefit of hindsight. Hey, the benefit of *** standby standby standby. Hey, standby. All right. I got it. I got it. Okay. Hey, from the, from the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision period. There’s no, no excuse for that. But again, I wasn’t there, but I’m just telling you from what we know we believe there should have been an entry at that as soon as you can. Hey, when there’s an active shooter, the rules change. It’s no longer okay. It’s no longer *** barricaded something. We don’t have time. You don’t worry about latter printers. And by the way, texas embraces active shooter training, active shooter certification And that, that, that doctrine requires officers. We don’t care what agency you’re from. You don’t have to have *** leader on the scene. Every officer lines up, stacks up, goes and finds where those rounds are being fired at and keep shooting until the subject is dead period. Put your head, yep, Mexico very difficult to understand how their citizens. Mm hmm. Wolverine. I don’t get it answer question. These were coming in again. Texas and second all these people and when wait By *** $5,000 weapon. Well that’s the last. He used *** debit card first. But to your point is very expensive and *** debit card, not *** credit card, it means he had money in the bank. So why? And how is being looked at right now? And I’ll tell you this, hundreds of more thousands more leads are being looked at right now because we haven’t answered all the questions we haven’t gotten into the why. Okay. We know the individual was also into cyber gaming in that regard and group gaming in that. So we’ve got *** lot of, *** lot of questions are out there and we’re seeking answers but we’ve got an obligation will continue to update you when we find something out. Hey. Yes. Question Hi. Mhm. The border, the border patrol agents, the Vortec agents that were in the building didn’t line up their part of the 19 that I talked about and the entry team ultimately the entry team that went in. But I can tell you that they were told just as like as any other officer was told and others even command staff that came on board. Is that that the incident commander at the time was believed that the you know that that in fact it was *** barricaded subject that we had time, there was no kids at risk. I wish he was. I wish he was because then there’s no question and I’ll say this right now, but every time we have one of these and there’s copycats, okay. And we need the public, just like we did back in 2018, that was *** public okay. They came forward and we got two people that are about to shoot up *** school or planning to shoot at school. It’s important paradigm in the public when you get something just cause it’s just because it sounds like he’s *** nut. He may be *** nut, but he just because it sounds like it’s possible to do, he may, he intended to do as I read the, the timeline based upon the chance that he had. So you know, we need, we need everyone, we have *** threat to life like that to take it seriously and report it because ultimately this is Travis. This is tragic. What do you tell the 19 with the parents of 19 kids or the families of 22 teachers? Yes sir, you’re right. 15. Yeah. Nice. Hey there, I’ve said it before, is that, well, first of all, when it comes to an active shooter is you don’t have to wait on tactical gear plain and simple. You, you got got an obligation what I know now. Okay, Absolutely. It was an active shooter because you can transition keep in mind in the doctrine okay of active shooters, you can transition from alert from an active shooter situation to *** barricaded subject or *** barricaded with *** hostage subject. But, but if if shooting continues and you have any reason to believe that there’s individuals alive in there you’ve got an obligation to move back to an active shooter posture and that means everybody everybody at the door. Very true 12 55 1 12 and why we have this and nobody responded. Well it already has *** part time swat team number one the I. S. D. S. Got. You know they have limited officers I think what is it we got 666.6. Yeah. You know the independent consultant, independent school district has six officers and they didn’t have one posted at that location and someone said, hey what do you tell the parents? I mean you know, you know the bottom line is that or someone talked about and said when there’s kids in the room, why wasn’t there an entry? Because it was believed, like I said at the time that that the subject was stationary barricaded. There was no risk to other Children again. On retrospect from where I’m sitting right now. Clearly there was kids in the room clearly okay they’re at risk. And you know by the way, even when you go back to shooting there, maybe kids that are injured, okay that may have been shot but injured and it’s important for life saving purposes to immediately get there and and render aid in the blue, he was not on campus again again. Well well well well and we’ll have all those answers down the road. Okay thank you. Yes apologize outside. You need, there is help. Great. What do you think worth about? Well, first, first I want to say that they want to, they consulted independent school district officers were there early. There was four of them and they immediately began evacuating the school and did that throughout the process. So they keep in mind. So that was going on. And that’s what do I say to the parents? I don’t have anything to say to the parents other than what had happened. We’re not here to, we’re not here to defend what happened? We’re here to report the facts, that they have the facts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, they might want to consult. Take outside. I’m sorry. Oh God, I don’t, I don’t have any information on that 11 2nd. However, we did review what, what DPS officers arrived on the scene what they did and, and and looked at those sentences. The Children in the Yes. Not every possibly been done as humanly fast as why is it done? Is are they apology from somebody? The commander? If if I, if I thought it would help, I would apologize. Okay. But but hey, hey, hey, but let me, let me say this. Hey, let me let me say this. When you go back to the timeline again, I want to go back and defending anything, but you go back to the timeline. There was *** garage. Hundreds of rounds were pumped in in four minutes. Okay. Into those two classrooms than anything else. Any firing afterwards was sporadic and it was at the door. So the belief is that there may not be anybody living anymore. And that the subject is now trying to keep law enforcement at bay or entice them to come in to suicide by contact. I understand that. Have reported that. Don’t yell at your colleagues. Yeah, Yankees, Jack. First of all how? Barrett? Just *** simple matter, right? And secondly, seven rounds from always fact. Well, I might answer the first one, but the y on the second one, I don’t have the first one that each door can lock from the inside and we’re both doors were locked from the inside. So the subject when he went in, he locked the door, he came out one time into the hallway, went back in and locked the door because at the time that the officers went in, both doors were locked. They got *** key from the janitor and used it. How are you, first of all came in Classroom in 12 of three reach this. How many? I don’t have that answer. We’re looking at it right now. But, but yes, why? Mhm. Place on lunch. Thank you. Yeah, Thanks *** lot. Mm hmm. You know, forget how I’m doing. What about the parents? Those Children? Forget about me, our officers and stuff like that. We take an oath to uphold the law and protect people at any time. Something tragic like that. We want to know why it happened. And if we can do better next time there’s *** bottom line and call it like it is, it’s tragic. Quite frankly. I mean, there shouldn’t be anybody, you know, ideally we’ve been able to find it for, you know, identify this guy as *** suspect and address it before you even thought about attacking, You know, on the 24th. Green Green. Go ahead, Go ahead. Oh, and we’re looking at other people. Absolutely nobody has been in contact. We’re looking at anything that links and associations, you know, people may that may have known something and uh, and will continue and may may have been involved in some chat room game gaming along with them. So there’s nobody that we’re not going to talk to and look at. And it’s certainly I can assure you that the district attorney is very proactive and very concerned about this and that if any evidence that we bring to her that someone was an accomplice or, and the enabler or didn’t do what they should have done If it’s *** violation of law and it meets this. The problem McConnell standards with no doubt that she’ll take care of business is like she did back in 2018 when we had to Juvenile’s plot capital murder at the school. We’re doing well, One calls it 12. Yes. Why? Yes. You know, I can’t tell you that was with certainty, but more than one survived. Okay. I’m sorry what? Yes, yes. The windows that they’ll go backwards right over here. I’ll move over here, subjects shot into these windows. White ears. He’s approaching the door. Right. So the kids, Children were vulnerable all the time. One. We don’t have any recordings. Children may be injured but not dead. The way he thought cigarette area. Right Esther the answer in terms of someone could have shot opposite Happy Garden. I would have the answer. Quite frankly, we’re looking at *** number of different things. What like that when you can’t be keep in mind when you got Children here, we got your Children. Oh yeah. Okay. Okay. Right. We’re looking at this from *** tactical standpoint and everything in terms of looking backwards. Okay. And in the and certainly one of the things is what was the access 111112 in that regard? And it uh and also, you know, there’s other access points as well. Hold on, let me just say one thing. Let me say one thing. One thing. One thing I didn’t point out, okay, is that when we, we’ve got him going into these rooms right here is *** jack and Jill restroom between So another like santa fe these classrooms are separated but they’re really connected so you can move back and forth between those two classrooms. Could you please give us in the green the green in the green room information. What? You know why? Thank you. Yeah well that we’ll put that question will be answered. But I don’t have the I’m not going to be sure that the information we have right now but because I don’t have I don’t have the detailed interview right now. Police officers, all kids we’re outside. Not that I’m aware of. No. Yes please. Yeah I know for two for certain dead and those two did not die service sir. And why was that stopped opening doors? Okay. Even after the incident was occurring, the shots being fired. The bottom line is that we we reported what happened because that back door was propped open. It wasn’t supposed to be propped, it was supposed to be locked and and certainly the teacher that went back for her cellphone, it prompted open again. So that was an access point that the subject used. Go ahead, go ahead the FBI to investigate. Well, first of all we welcome the FBI. There’s *** reason why there’s the FBI special agent in charge behind me right now. They play *** vital role. And again this is about finding facts and reporting facts as quick as we can. It’s not about trying to defend or it’s not about trying to assess or or even be hyper critical about the facts and sharing whatever we learn on the facts as quick as we can be as transparent as we can. Okay the media but more importantly the parents and the public and the citizens of Uvalde texas, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. The chief, the chief of police, the consolidated Independent School District is the incident commander. It’s his school, he’s the Chief of Police. Okay? Again, that’s, I’m not going to discuss disciplinary, but there’s an ongoing criminal investigations, ongoing criminal investigation. Okay? Again, you know, I’m not gonna get into, go ahead and do it matt, matt, go ahead, go ahead, Go ahead. Which the Chief of Police of consulting independent school district. He, he was convinced and again, I’m gonna go back and say, you know, he was convinced at that time that there was no more threat to the Children and that the subject was barricaded and that they had time to organize with the proper equipment to go in. The subject already had hit, you know, three officers and uh hit two officers and there’s like didn’t answer the final question. *** third border patrol agent was grazed as well, but no one was. No. Police officer was seriously injured, shots fired. Yes, yes, they did. He shot and I went through the timeline before where he continued to shoot that periodically sporadically. The last yeah, the last, I think already gave you the timeline and I went, I’m sure I went through it, but the last time that the shot right before the the entry. Okay. It was Was he shot at 1221. What’s up? No, not at the Children as well. We don’t know yet. We believe it was at the door is what he fired at. Hold on. What kind of equipment did not. Okay, well, we know that the beginning one of the vortex agents arrived. They had, they had three ballistic shields. Last question right here, right here. Right here. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Like I don’t know. No, that’s fine. Let’s answer the question. Okay, well, I already said that. First of all. Hey, texas embraces and teaches. Okay, The active shooter doctrine. The active duty doctrine. As long as there’s kids, as long as there’s someone’s firing, you go to the gun, you find them, you neutralize them period. And there’s only, you know, there are some nuances with going transition to *** barricaded subject, also transitioning to *** hostage situation. And of course that the decision at the scene was that this is still *** barricaded subject that did not go back to an active shooter situation. The police. Why isn’t he here question? Well, because I’m here to address the latest timeline and facts that we know you’re smart. You’re sure you’re certainly welcome to reach out to reach out to them. Yeah, I defer to, uh, do you want to get *** question. Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. What exactly is your this investigation? There’s like the efforts to study the situation. This is something investigation and someone else. Thank you for the question. So my name is Oliver Rich, I’m the special agent in charge of the SAN Antonio division. Um first I want to say, I understand there are *** lot of questions and there’s *** lot of frustration in the public and our heart goes out to the families and the victims in this tragedy. Um I will say our role here remains the same. We are here to assist in this investigation to provide the support to the community to the best of our ability. We’ve had 200 people here for over four days. We have people working all across the country to support this community and to support this investigation. We are continuing in that vein. We have victims specialists here working with people in the community and we will continue to do that. If the facts bear out that there is *** federal nexus, then the FBI will conduct an appropriate investigation at that time. But for now we we continue in this to support the texas, rangers. Congratulations. How many more questions, questions, questions yes. Your volume apartment Posted February 2020 that they familiarized. Mr Great. Just when you were supposed to they were not in League Commanding officer with this training and they should have done work. Yeah, I don’t have the answer to that question. Last question. President biden message from *** friend. Welcome here. Welcome to texas and this is community has been hit hard and I think it’s it’s noble that the president’s gonna be here to recognize the pain and suffering, but this community is going through and that’s I think that’s what leadership is. That’s why that’s why Governor Abbott’s here. That’s why lieutenant leaders go to where the problem is and right now the problems in your body texas. Okay, this money on. Mhm.