Uvalde school district suspends entire Uvalde CISD Police following criticism over their failure to confront gunman Salvadar Ramos in a timely manner during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary where the shooter was left alone in a classroom for over 77 minutes where he fatally gunned down 19 children and two teachers.
‘My kids are in there!’ A Texas school district on Friday announced that it had suspended the entire school district police force in Uvalde, following their failed response to the massacre at Robb Elementary School earlier this year.
On May 24, gunman Salvador Ramos, 18, shot and killed a total of 19 children and two teachers at the school. He was left alone in the classroom for 77 minutes before police intervened.
At the time video captured parents who had arrived at the scene desperately pleading with police to go into the classroom in a bid to take out the teen gunman.
In a statement today, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) wrote: ‘Recent developments have uncovered additional concerns with department operations.
‘As a result of the developments, Lt Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller have been placed on administrative leave.
Why did police fail to intervene in a timely manner?
‘The District has made the decision to suspend all activities of the Uvalde CISD Police Department for a period of time.
‘Officers currently employed will fill other roles in the district. Ken Mueller has elected to retire.’
Since the mass school shooting, questions have been raised as to why the classroom Ramos had holed up in wasn’t stormed by police sooner on the fatal day.
News of the suspension comes just days after a Uvalde cop who resigned after being widely criticized by parents for failing to intervene in the massacre was rehired to protect the school.
Crimson Elizondo, 45, has now been fired from her position at the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District following outcry from parents over the decision to rehire her.
Elizondo, a former officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety, was among the first cops to arrive at the scene of the May 24 shooting.
She was caught on bodycam outside the building, failing to make any attempt to enter it.
Faux pas hiring
Elizondo quietly resigned when an investigation was launched into the police response.
She was then hired at the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD).
In her new position, she was tasked with protecting the survivors of the shooting that left 19 kids and two teacher dead.
Parents said they immediately recognized her when they spotted Elizondo this week in the school and demanded she be fired.
The school district said she was terminated from her position on Thursday and apologized to the families of the victims.
After the UCISD Chief Pete Arredondo resigning over criticisms of his leadership to end the shooting quickly, Elizondo was one of seven DPS officers under investigation for failing to act alongside the former chief.
‘system failures and egregious poor decision making’
She was among the first officers at the scene, where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was left alone for 77-minutes where he went on to kill19 students and two teachers, and injure 17 others.
A Texas House committee investigation previously said that state and federal cops were largely responsible for the bloody massacre.
The better trained and equipped responders failed to exert the leadership needed when local officers were out of their depth.
The report slammed them for ‘failing to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety’.
A 77-page released document condemned ‘system failures and egregious poor decision making’ by nearly all those in power during the May 24 attack.
Details of the report came as family members of the victims met with Texas lawmakers investigating the massacre, days after incriminating footage showing the police’s botched response was leaked.
Relatives of the victims viewed the full footage during the meeting and reviewed the committee’s findings on the shooting.
After the meeting the investigation committee led by Texas House of Representatives plans hold a press conference where it will officially release its report on the shooting, along with the the footage family members will be shown.
