The 18-year-old gunman responsible for this week's tragic Uvalde mass shooting may no longer be alive to face the consequences of his actions, but the rest of the world is still seeking answers for how something like this could've happened. Thanks to a timeline put together by the NY Times, we're finally getting some clarity.
Things began at 11:27 AM when video evidence shows that the door where Salvador Ramos entered the school was propped open by a teacher. A minute later, his truck crashed nearby and at the same time, the teacher at the door entered the school to allegedly retrieve a phone.
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Two men across the street at a funeral home witnessed the truck crash and ran towards it where they found Ramos exiting with a gun and a backpack. They both fled back to where they came from and missed being shot at by the gunman, who started heading on foot toward the school.
By 11:30 AM, a call had been placed to 911 (possibly from the aforementioned teacher at the door) reporting a vehicle crash and a man with a gun. In the next minute, Ramos had reached the parking lot, where he began shooting at the school. "Meanwhile, a patrol vehicle arrives at the funeral home," the NY Times reports.
"An officer drives into the school parking lot, passing by the gunman, and eventually confronts someone in the parking lot who turns out to be a teacher." All the while, the 18-year-old continued to fire shots at the school from outside, until he eventually entered at 11:33 AM, heading towards classrooms 111 and 112, where he fired more than 100 rounds.
At 11:35 AM, three Uvalde Police Department officers entered the school via the same door Ramos used, and two of them were grazed by gunfire. Four more officers entered later, including the deputy county sheriff. It's been noted that "both doors into the adjoining classrooms where the gunman is located are locked at this time."
11:37 AM heard another 16 rounds fired; after that, the timeline isn't updated until 11:51 AM, when the police sergeant and other law enforcement agents began to arrive at the crime scene.
By 12:03 PM, nearly two dozen officers had gathered in the school hallway. From inside Room 112, a student called 911 and whispered where she was – minutes later the same young girl called again, informing authorities that multiple people were dead before calling one more time at 12:13 PM.
At 12:15 PM, members of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit arrived with shields and a minute later the aforementioned student placed another 911 call, reporting that eight to nine students are still alive.
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At 12:19 PM, 911 received another call from a student in Room 111, although this one hung up after being instructed to do so by another student. Two minutes later, the gunman (believed to be at the classroom door) fired again; at this point, officers moved down the hallway.
The first student to call the police did so again at 12:36 PM, at which time she was told to "stay on the time and stay quiet." During her over 10-minute wait, she "asked 911 to please send the police now."
At 12:46 PM the unidentified student confirmed she could hear the police next door, and at 12:50 PM they breached the classroom door using keys that were obtained by a janitor. Ramos was killed immediately, and the remaining children were safely moved out of Robb Elementary.
[Via]