TX - Uvalde; Robb Elementary, 19 children and 3 adults killed, shooter dead, 24 MAY 2022 #3

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<modsnip - off topic>

I couldn’t know why PA got his position nor why he failed this community so badly when it counted the most. I just know that he did.

I try to keep my eye on the real villain which is Ramos, and hope we all find a way to stop these tragedies before they begin.

JMO
 
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PrairieWind said:
The report slams law enforcement. Then moves on to detail the failures of the school. The school failures are EPIC! Should they be ignored?
Click to expand...

The school failures should not be ignored, IMHO. While right now the LE failures are so astounding that they seem to eclipse the school leadership, I have said in the last school shooting that admin has lots to answer for and it is also true in this case. The culture of magnets and not replacing keys and not taking LE seriously about the doors is emblematic of a thinking process that is deadly once again---all schools must not diminish the likelihood that they could have a shooting just because they are a small town, or friendly community or a great school......Columbine, VTech, Sandy Hook and Parkland were all great schools, good communities.

I am astounded that anyone still has their job in the leadership, School Board, PD. Before I left my principal job when Sandy Hook happened nearby, I cried for days thinking about the loss of life and the ways that I needed to rethink how I did my job. It was no longer more about the "education" side but became more about the intense responsibility to insure that the children in my care made it home each night (and the teachers and staff as well). All of my other leadership colleagues became as obsessed as I did. We did trainings. We walked the perimeter and cut trees. We were stern with those who propped doors open and gave written letters of warning. We obsessed with keys, key placement, who had them, who knew where they were. We created task forces to identify kids or families at risk for perpetrating a crime like this and made sure there were points of contact and treatment options. Still at the end of the day, I always wondered what could or would happen. When I left, I had a new strange lightness because I was holding the situation deeply.

First, let's look at LE. Then, the leadership teams and the School Board. Then, the political structure. I hope they will spend a good long time assessing these failures and put in a whole new leadership team.
 
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<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> ... this happened in a small town. One that reported zero murders in 2021 - which tells you that LE in that town are not used to confronting violent felons.

Response time is critical in any emergency situation - every second counts. The majority of these school shootings happen in a matter of minutes. LE had almost no time to respond and confront the shooter much less set up a command post to control the incident.

LE - especially the commander - has to, not only think quick, but act even quicker. PA had grown accustomed to the "small town" life. Very little happened there. But that's not even it.

He, as chief, planned, wrote, and presented the active shooter response policy for the school district. He should have known that document front to back - been able to recite it by memory. He took part in trainings, sat in meetings discussing various response scenerios.

And when he failed and failed miserably - children and adults died - the people in positions of power able to hold him accountable decided that instead of holding him accountable - they were going to "have his back". And that is the small town mentality. Had this happened in a larger, urban area, I believe, there would have been a completely different response and it certainly wouldn't have taken 77 minutes for LE to get to the shooter and neutralize the threat.

JMHO
 
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Wise Old Owl said:
<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> ... this happened in a small town. One that reported zero murders in 2021 - which tells you that LE in that town are not used to confronting violent felons.

Response time is critical in any emergency situation - every second counts. The majority of these school shootings happen in a matter of minutes. LE had almost no time to respond and confront the shooter much less set up a command post to control the incident.

LE - especially the commander - has to, not only think quick, but act even quicker. PA had grown accustomed to the "small town" life. Very little happened there. But that's not even it.

He, as chief, planned, wrote, and presented the active shooter response policy for the school district. He should have known that document front to back - been able to recite it by memory. He took part in trainings, sat in meetings discussing various response scenerios.

And when he failed and failed miserably - children and adults died - the people in positions of power able to hold him accountable decided that instead of holding him accountable - they were going to "have his back". And that is the small town mentality. Had this happened in a larger, urban area, I believe, there would have been a completely different response and it certainly wouldn't have taken 77 minutes for LE to get to the shooter and neutralize the threat.

JMHO
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with a single thing you said.
 
www.cbsnews.com

Uvalde community reacts to school shooting investigation with outrage at district board meeting

The fiery response in Uvalde, Texas over the state-sanctioned report outlining failures throughout the school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead continued. The last demands for accountability came at Monday's school district meeting where people from across the Uvalde community...
www.cbsnews.com


This just reinforces what I've been saying. These people are angry and rightfully so!

Ya know - I used to put a banner up in my classroom

RESPECT + RESPONSIBILITY = REPUTATION

As a class we would discuss this and my students learned what it meant to respect yourself and others and how that respect leads to responsibility and how that all leads to YOUR reputation with your family and friends and community.

To me - this has now evolved into: money money money money, money. The people in power - authority need to respect the people that put them there (elected them to speak for them) - with that power those that were elected need to accept the responsibility that position called for because, ultimately their (school board members) reputation will reflect that. Yes, it is that simple.

Yet, the school board members and the superintendent are deflecting. They don't want to loose those "cushy" jobs - but even more, they don't want to loose that money. Oh well, if you get a job and don't do that job - well - you get fired. There's the door - don't let it hit you where the Good Lord split ya!!!! But no, they deflect - they didn't "do anything" so why should they be punished?

I feel for the citizens of Uvalde right now. They are calling for responsibility and accountability that was promised to them when they voted for these people. And what are these people doing now? Well, they are telling them that "we are going to upgrade - we are going to hire more police, crack down on the policy violations, yadda yadda yadda - when they should have been on top of all of that BEFORE this happened. They didn't do their jobs. Enough said?





JMHO
 
llewellyn said:
Here in Finland it's really strict: I'm a qualified history teacher (MA in history plus a year of pedagogic studies), but not a qualified special needs class teacher, that would require first a year of class teacher studies plus then a year of special needs studies both at university. I'm a latecomer in teaching - came via burnout from IT industry, my younger son is an autist and my 8 pupil class (with 3 assistants) is an autism class, and I just love the work but I'm not qualified, so I can be hired only year by year basis and only if no-one qualified applies... I think that's overly strict but it's the law.
Click to expand...
This is a good point and leads me to amend my earlier post.

In NYC, as I stated, each school district operated as its own fiefdom, with the superintendents employing nepotism and cronyism as they desired.

That does NOT mean that someone without a teaching license can teach. We have to have a Bachelor’s degree in our subject and must also obtain a Master’s within a few years. We have to additionally take all required training courses in education, child abuse etc. Of course we then must pass several teacher exams to obtain our licenses.

Where nepotism and cronyism really come into play is promoting teachers to admin positions once they get that license. Some get a plum job in a great school
And some don’t. The other perks of being connected are in supportive roles, such as school aide or paraprofessional. That’s really based on who you know.

Perhaps PA was a good cop at one time, but slithered up the chain of
Command undeservedly.
 
These are my main takeaways form the Committee Report or were news to me (most of which has to do with the shooter and his past history):

- the high frequency of recent “bailout” lockdown alerts likely lessened the urgency of the school's response to the situation; UCSD schools received 47 secure or lockdown alerts between February 22 and May 24 due to bailouts (some of the officers that didn't know children were in the classrooms assumed the barricaded subject was a bailout suspect hiding out in the school)

- the door lock manufacturer has since discontinued production of the locks that were used at the school; key blanks were acquired when the locks were purchased and installed but the school had utilized that supply

- one of the UCSD officers said that staff sometimes changed locks without notifying them

- the shooter (which I will refer to simply as S from here on out) discussed bad memories from fourth grade with an acquaintance just weeks before the shooting

- S kept notes on his phone about his struggle with bullies and fitting in and his fixation with weight and fitness (which ultimately resulted in an eating disorder)

- S was suspended from school in 2018 for three days after a “mutual combat” incident with another student in the hallway (...I can only assume this simply means he was in a fight at school?)

- S had only completed ninth grade and missed more than 100 days of school annually; the local judicial system doesn’t enforce their truancy laws, and therefore, no action was taken about the excessive absences and the high school involuntarily withdrew him for poor academic performance and lack of attendance in the fall of 2021

- S' only friend lived in San Antonio and a group of his former friends “jumped him” earlier this year

- S shared unsolicited violent videos that depicted suicides, beheadings, and gruesome accidents with others online

- On Yubo, S spoke about being jealous of the publicity Luka Magnotta received after watching a Netflix documentary; he also shared an online video of himself riding around with “someone he met on the internet” while holding a clear plastic bag with a dead cat inside

- S began to seriously pursue his plans for the shooting after having a major falling out with his mother; their blowout argument was livestreamed on Instagram (by whom, I wonder?)

- S confided to an older cousin that he didn't want to live anymore a few days before the shooting; he also had similar discussions with his uncle

- a suspicious person dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack was seen canvassing the school on March 23, 2022 but the suspicious person was never identified

- S had no experience with firearms and May 24th was likely the first time he'd ever fired a gun; his uncle recalled watching him attempt to seat a magazine in the rifle but the magazine kept falling out onto the floor; he searched the internet for basic information such as what kind of ammunition an AR-15 fired and whether magazines could be reused after they were emptied

- S also researched how to buy “juggernaut armor” (which is a fictional armor system that only exists in video games)

- S saved news stories about the mass shooting at the supermarket in Buffalo, NY

- S had an hour-long Facetime conversation with the girl who lived in Germany before sending her live text updates; the widely circulated screenshot of their text conversation didn't include a message she sent but apparently deleted before she captured the image: 28 seconds after he sent the "I just shot my grandma in her head" and the "Ima go shoot up an elementary school rn" texts, the German teenager responded with a single text that said "cool"

- the male dressed in all black that one officer requested permission to shoot turned out to be Coach Abraham Gonzales; he was on his way to the parking lot to leave school after working lunch duty when he heard a gunshot and Coach Garcia’s report about the shooter over the radio

- not only was the west door of the west building unlocked, but the exterior doors on the east and south sides were unlocked that day as well

- Ms. Avila was struck by a bullet that passed through the walls and into Room 109

- Uvalde Sheriff Nolasco testified that he learned about the shooting on Diaz Street (his grandmother) from a man who flagged him down as he responded to the school; other information provided to the Committee suggests Nolasco learned about the shooting on Diaz Street by other means, perhaps earlier than he's acknowledged; the Committee has requested his mobile phone records to confirm he wasn’t directly contacted for assistance on Diaz Street but they had not yet received those records

 
Dotta said:
nypost.com

Illegal immigration blamed in Uvalde, Texas school shooting: report

The US border crisis helped create lax security at the Uvalde school where 19 fourth-graders and two teachers were slaughtered, a Texas report shows.
nypost.com nypost.com
Click to expand...

From the article:

The report explained that when authorities try to pull a suspicious vehicle over, the driver often refuses to stop and speeds away, a dangerous occurrence that frequently ends in a crash and the operator and his passengers abandoning, or “bailing out,” of the car.

Such “bailouts” in Uvalde routinely trigger security alerts for local schools including Robb Elementary. But since the alerts usually don’t amount to danger for the school, they end up being treated a little like the boy who cried wolf, the pols’ report said.

I dunno, maybe crashes that, quote, "usually don't amount to danger for the school," involving a vehicle carrying people being illegally smuggled shouldn't be considered a security threat worthy of alerts being sent out to the schools?

How many of these bailouts have resulted in actual harm to anyone besides the smugglers and the smuggled?

Just a thought.
 
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IMO, this is indeed an inequity issue imposed on this community.

78% are Hispanic, and 29% of the population lives below the poverty line.

Uvalde is a city and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,217 at the 2020 census. Uvalde is located in the Texas Hill Country, 80 miles west of downtown San Antonio and 54 miles east of the Mexico–United States border. Wikipedia

www.kxan.com

Uvalde report’s delayed Spanish version criticized by Latino advocacy group

Nearly 82% of Uvalde residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2020 Census data. Of approximately 15,000 residents, nearly 57% of residents ages 5 and older speak a language other than English…
www.kxan.com www.kxan.com

7/19/22

UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) — On Sunday, the Texas House’s Investigative Committee released a 77-page report into the Robb Elementary mass school shooting, detailing the events — and failures — that happened May 24.

In a follow-up press conference with Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Sunday evening, it was revealed a Spanish translation of the report wouldn’t be available for up to two weeks, with McLaughlin adding he’d work to speed up that process.

That delay is inexcusable, said Dr. Teresa Granillo, CEO of the nonprofit Avance, Inc., which services Latino communities across Texas, including Uvalde. But the delayed Spanish translation of the report also speaks to a broader equity issue for Latino communities within and beyond Uvalde, she said.

[..]

From a law enforcement investigation’s standpoint, it’s a failure to effectively serve the community, former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told KXAN.

“When you think about Uvalde and the fact that it is a predominantly Hispanic community and a lot of the older generation don’t speak English or don’t read it well enough or understand it well enough to understand and comprehend the report? It’s disappointing,” he said. “Especially when you think about the fact that it’s very easy to actually get translation services.”

[..]
 
Dotta said:
nypost.com

Illegal immigration blamed in Uvalde, Texas school shooting: report

The US border crisis helped create lax security at the Uvalde school where 19 fourth-graders and two teachers were slaughtered, a Texas report shows.
nypost.com nypost.com
Click to expand...
That's an opinion

I don't know why they have these alerts, but I won't express my opinion.

I don't think I've ever gotten an emergency alert for a crime in my area. I live in San Antonio. (We had over 50 people die in a trailer last month)


Last year, I got a blue alert. The alert said "There is a blue alert in your area". There was no other information. I had to take to the internet to find out that that it was 500 miles away. Eventually the officer was shown to have a bruise where his bullet proof vest was hit. It was at a time when they were trying to pass a bill to be "tough on something".


I will say that alot of money is being spent and maybe these specific alerts were created just because they have money to spend. Every area has there own type of crime. My hunch is most of the population has probably become immune to these alerts themselves.
 
Today -
(CNN)The Uvalde, Texas, schools superintendent has recommended the firing of Pete Arredondo, the school police chief who oversaw the response to May's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, according to a Board of Education meeting agenda.
The board announced Wednesday it will hold a special meeting Saturday at 10 a.m. for "discussion and possible action regarding termination for good cause as recommended by the Superintendent," the agenda says.
Click to expand...
edition.cnn.com

Uvalde superintendent recommends school police chief Pete Arredondo be fired

The Uvalde, Texas, schools superintendent has recommended the firing of Pete Arredondo, the school police chief who oversaw the response to May's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, according to a Board of Education meeting agenda.
edition.cnn.com edition.cnn.com
 
Seattle1 said:
From the 77-minute surveillance video of the subject school corridor with classrooms 111-112, if the first approximate 7 responders visible on camera were mostly from UCISD police force, I'm speculating that the individual I deemed "beige officer" in my earlier posts, might be Lt Mike Hernadez. (??)

Reportedly, Lt Hernandez retired from the Uvalde Police force in 2016 -- and later joined the small, school district force.

www.kxan.com

Who is Mike Hernandez? Lieutenant becomes interim Uvalde school police chief

Lieutenant Mike Hernandez will take over as interim police chief for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.
www.kxan.com www.kxan.com

Keep UCISD Safe / Homepage

www.ucisd.net www.ucisd.net
Click to expand...

Appending to my previous message -- I have an ID for "beige officer." He is not Lt Mike Hernandez but Uvalde SWAT commander Eduardo Canales.

City of Uvalde releases bodycam footage showing police response to Robb Elementary shooting

All is quiet for the first 52 seconds of footage identified as belonging to SWAT commander Eduardo Canales as he and several other officers cautiously approach the classroom — "Watch that door! Watch that door!" he warns — when four loud shots ring out in rapid succession.

[..]

"We got to get in there," Canales tells just-arriving officers after briefly exiting the school. "Guy's inside the classroom right now."

That sense of urgency was somehow lost amid the arrival of hundreds of officers from multiple local, state and federal agencies, as more an hour passed before a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team led the way into the classroom and shot dead the gunman.

[..]

City officials had held off on making the footage public at the direction of Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee, but Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said he believed that Sunday's release of the first in-depth investigative report into the shooting, accompanied by video taken from the hallway outside the classroom, changed the situation.
 
cujenn81 said:
These are my main takeaways form the Committee Report or were news to me (most of which has to do with the shooter and his past history):

- the high frequency of recent “bailout” lockdown alerts likely lessened the urgency of the school's response to the situation; UCSD schools received 47 secure or lockdown alerts between February 22 and May 24 due to bailouts (some of the officers that didn't know children were in the classrooms assumed the barricaded subject was a bailout suspect hiding out in the school)
Click to expand...
RSBM
47 lockdown alerts had to be quite an interruption to normal school activities! That's half or more of the in-class days for those 3 months of school!

"An interim report from a Texas House committee investigating the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School found that a surge in human traffickers trying to outrun police contributed to “a diminished sense of vigilance” at the scene that day."
Source:
www.google.com

Surge in human trafficker 'bailouts' blamed for 'lackadaisical' response in Uvalde

An interim report from a Texas House committee investigating the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School found that a surge in human traffickers trying to outru
www.google.com www.google.com

While many of the findings are stomach churning, such as constantly unlocked external doors, the school police chief should have been implementing some changes to help maintain a sense of normalcy for the kids. How terrible to go to school & be on lookout for your safety all the time. Awful for the teachers, too.

Hardening the school better would have allowed normal routines to continue without the disruption of lockdowns. The vigilance should have been OUTSIDE the school so that its perimeter was not breached. Exactly what kind of threats did these bailouts pose? Surely they were not randomly shooting? If so, then a campus with dispersed buildings like Robb basically could not function without more external security or even moving the kids to a more secure campus (lots of challenges doing that but perhaps feasible).

This community has been severely impacted by the border crisis. Regardless of one's personal political views, a school in the crosshairs is gross negligence.

As usual, I believe AP is ultimately responsible for the tragedy at Robb Elementary. The school board, too, could have taken a more assertive stance about why this school was forced into lockdown so much. Not acceptable!
MOO
 
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