- Texas police now say that a school officer did not confront the gunman before he entered Robb Elementary School.
- "That's not accurate," said Victor Escalon, a Texas public safety offical. "[The gunman] walked in unobstructed initially."
- The gunman was then barricaded inside a classroom with students for an hour during which he shot and killed 19 students and two teachers.
A top Texas law enforcement official on Thursday said a school district police officer did not engage the gunman before he entered Robb Elementary school, disputing previous reports.
"It was reported that a school district police officer confronted the suspect," Victor Escalon, the South Texas regional director for the state Department of Public Safety, told reporters at a press conference.
"That's not accurate," he added. "[The gunman] walked in unobstructed initially."
"I just want to clear that up, that's very important," he continued.
It was first reported that after the gunman crashed his car near the school an officer from the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District confronted him before he entered the building — raising questions about how the gunman was able to pass the officer and barricade himself in a classroom.
Escalon added that it appears the back door of the school was unlocked at the time of the gunman's entry, around 11:40 a.m. local time, which is how he was able to enter. Escalon also said there wasn't an officer "readily available and armed" at the school at the time the shooting began.
He said it took one hour for more armed officers and a tactical team to get to the scene and engage the suspect. A US Border Patrol Agent shot and killed the gunman upon his arrival at the scene.
The gunman ultimately killed 19 students and two teachers in the time he barricaded himself inside a fourth-grade classroom.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
