Uvalde police footage leaked ahead of planned release

Published 8:59 pm Tuesday, July 12, 2022

AUSTIN, Texas — Video of what occurred in and around Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in May was released Tuesday, upsetting some state leaders who said they planned to release the footage on Sunday after allowing the community and families of victims to see it first.

The video, first released by the Austin-American Statesman and KVUE, shows the gunman as he crashed his vehicle and entered the school. It also shows more than a dozen officers waiting in the school hallway for more than an hour before breaching the classroom door and killing the 18-year-old gunman.

The 88-minute video includes hallway and bodycam footage as well as audio but does not show anyone being shot or killed or any depictions of blood or injury. Instead it shows the gunman entering the building unimpeded and peeking over a hallway corner before walking into the two fourth-grade classrooms and firing dozens of rounds.

Prior to police arrival, a young student leaving the restroom looked down the hallway where the gunman was and ran to hide once gunfire erupted.

Minutes later law enforcement can be seen arriving, but after the gunman shot at the first responders seconds after approaching the classroom door, officers retreated to the end of the hall and remained in that position for at least 55 minutes except for the couple of times officers walked half of the hallway early on in the incident before retreating and staying put, video shows.

During this time, members of at least five law enforcement agencies carrying high-powered firearms can be seen arriving, as well as at least one ballistic shield at minute 17, with others arriving later. Through distorted audio, officers can be heard talking strategy. Cell phone rings and answers can also be heard.

Shots fired around minute 50 lead a swarm of heavily armed law enforcement officers to approach the two classrooms. It is the first time law enforcement officers approach the classroom door since their initial interaction.

Dozens of officers remain within the hallway, outside of the classroom doors for nearly 30 minutes before a barrage of final shots are fired. The video ends shortly after and it is assumed it is at this point the gunman was killed.

Much of the video revealed what had previously been reported by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw to state legislators in various committee meetings. But changing narratives of what occurred that day and a push by state and city leaders to withhold documents and video has led to distrust within the community and outcry for the full video to be released.

State Rep. Dustin Burrows, chair of the house investigative committee into the Uvalde shooting, said Tuesday morning that the committee planned to release the video first to the families of the victims as well as a preliminary report on Sunday before releasing it to the public. He has stated and tweeted several times that he fully intended to release video and a full report once the investigation was complete.

“It is my intention to show the hallway video to the people of Uvalde, regardless of any agreement. I will not release it to the public until the people of Uvalde have seen it for themselves,” Burrows tweeted. “We feel strongly that members of the Uvalde community should have the opportunity to see the video and hear from us before they are made public.”

Even so, the Austin-American Statesman and KVUE said in a statement they chose to release the obtained video immediately after a review and discussion within their newsrooms.

“Our goal is to continue to bring to light what happened at Robb Elementary, which the families and friends of the Uvalde victims have long been asking for,” the news organizations said. “We have to bear witness to history, and transparency and unrelenting reporting is a way to bring change.”

Following its release of the video, Burrows said he was “disappointed” at its early release, particularly since the “victim’s families and the Uvalde community’s request(ed) to watch the video first.”

He and state Rep. Joe Moody, who is also a member of the house special committee, said the report which has yet to be released provides greater context to what occurred that day.

“A piecemeal release of information continues to tell part of a story that people deserve the complete truth about (Uvalde),” he tweeted.

McCraw said in a statement that he too was “deeply disappointed” at the video’s early release.

“Those most affected should have been among the first to see it,” McCraw said. “As I stated during my testimony before the Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans, this video provides horrifying evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary on May 24 was an abject failure. In law enforcement, when one officer fails, we all fail.”

Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been criticized by his adversaries for not calling a special session to address gun violence, has not yet responded to the video release.