Most “active shooter” attacks in America end within five minutes. The attack on Uvalde school children lasted an hour.
That is how long police waited for backup Tuesday instead of moving on the gunman, who sprayed classrooms with bullets, leaving 19 children and two teachers dead.
That revelation, which a Texas law enforcement official provided Thursday, has enraged parents who wonder whether a quicker response could have saved lives — though details about the exact sequence of events remain unclear.
The delay in entering the building also confounded experts who say it deviates from standard police practice, which says officers should do whatever they can, as fast as they can, to stop a shooter’s assault, even if they are alone and without backup.
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Waiting for specialized tactical units used to be standard practice in responding to shooters. That changed after the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, when police waited nearly an hour for a SWAT team to enter the building — during which time 12 students and one teacher were killed.
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This is a live update. Click here for complete coverage of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
