The response from the families of the Uvalde massacre victims was of anger and outrage, the reaction from law enforcement experts was that of astonishment and dismay.
It followed the release Tuesday by a Texas newspaper of leaked surveillance video from inside the school, days ahead of when officials said they planned to allow families to view it, and before it would be released to the public.
“It’s just never-ending pain, it’s just one thing after another,” said Kimberly Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter, Lexi, was killed. Rubio, along with other parents, was in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to meet with legislators.”We came here to share Lexi’s story, to try to change things and then we get this kind of news and we have to tell our family back home not to watch the news, and our kids (who) have cellphones.”
Nineteen students and two teachers were killed by the gunman who walked into Robb Elementary on May 24.
The Austin American-Statesman newspaper, which published the leaked footage, defended its decision, with executive editor Manny Garcia writing in an editorial, “We have to bear witness to history, and transparency and unrelenting reporting is a way to bring change.”
One edited video shows the gunman entering the school and walking down the hallway with a long rifle. The recording also shows officers approaching the classroom that the shooter was in, but then retreating down the hallway and taking cover when gunfire is heard. It was more than an hour later before authorities confronted and killed the shooter.
“This should have been over in 3 to 4 minutes,” Carrie Cordero, CNN legal analyst and former counsel to the US assistant attorney general, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday, saying there was “no excuse” for why the officers held back for so long.
“We don’t know what was going on in the minds of those officers who were in the hallway and decided not to act when there were children under gunfire – but from my perspective, every single one depicted in that video should turn in their badge,” Cordero added.
Live updates about the surveillance video
Families of victims were outraged
The families who were in Washington expressed outrage at the release of the footage before those impacted had a chance to view it first.
“We get blindsided by a leak,” said Angel Garza, whose 10-year-old daughter, Amerie Jo, was killed. “Who do you think you are to release footage like that of our children who can’t even speak for themselves, but you want to go ahead and air their final moments to the entire world? What makes you think that’s OK?
“The least you can do is have some freaking decency for us,” Garza said.
Javier Cazares, the father of Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, who was also killed, said he was preparing to view the footage Sunday –as authorities had planned – when he abruptly found out about Tuesday’s release.