Javier Cazares, whose daughter Jacklyn was killed in the attack on Robb Elementary School, has slammed law enforcement for taking 90 minutes to stop the shooter.
On Tuesday (24 May), 18-year-old Salvador Ramos shot and killed at least 19 children and two adults at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as well as injuring a further 17 people.
The teenager was shot dead by law enforcement at the scene.
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Now, it has been reported that the gunman was in the school for some time, before police went in, with police receiving the first call at 11.32am and Ramos being reported dead at 1pm, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Cazares says more could've been done and rushed to the grade school when he heard about the shooting.
Upon arrival, he found police still outside.
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The father urged bystanders: "Let's just rush in because the cops aren't doing anything like they are supposed to."
He went on to say that 'more could have been done' and that police were 'unprepared', as reported by Sky News.
A witness who saw Ramos crash his truck before entering the school with a rifle, also urged police to go in quicker.
"Go in there! Go in there!" the witness shouted at officers, who did not enter.
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Later, Steven McCraw, Texas Department of Public Safety director would reveal in a news conference that Ramos was inside the school for 40 minutes to an hour before enforcement went inside.
Ramos had barricaded himself inside a classroom and law enforcement were said to have had trouble breaking down the classroom door.
After a staff member opened the room with a key, law enforcement entered and killed him.
Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez explained to CNN of the delay in stopping the shooter: "There was not sufficient manpower at that time, and their primary focus was to preserve any further loss of life.
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"They started breaking windows around the school and trying to rescue, evacuate children and teachers while that was going on."
UNILAD has contacted the Uvalde Police Department for a comment.
The shooting is the deadliest since Sandy Hook, where a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults.
The horrific incident has renewed calls for tighter gun controls.
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Ramos legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles on soon as his 18th birthday passed, which he used during the shooting.
Following the tragedy, many have called for stricter gun laws in the US, with president Joe Biden urging: "When in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?
"I am sick and tired. We have to act."
The gun lobby is an all encompassing term that refers to efforts to influence state and federal policy on guns.
This includes the National Rifle Association, a Texas based gun lobbying group, whose annual meeting tomorrow (27 May), includes the likes of Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump.
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Topics: no-article-matching, News, US News