RELATIVES of children killed in the Uvalde school shooting confronted the Texas public safety director on Thursday and demanded he resign over the failure of his agency's troopers to confront the gunman quickly and possibly save lives.
Brett Cross, uncle of 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia - one of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School - was one of several relatives who pressed Director Col. Steven McCraw to follow through on his vow to resign if his agency was found culpable in its response.
"You have disgraced our state," Cross said at a podium as he looked directly at McCraw during a meeting of the Public Safety Commission in Austin. "Steve, the time is now: If you are a man of your word, you will resign."
McCraw, whose agency is responsible for statewide law enforcement, acknowledged that responding officers failed to follow protocol by waiting more than an hour before entering the adjoining classrooms where the gunman was holed up with the teachers and school children. He said quicker response may have saved lives.
Even so, McCraw said he would only resign if an internal investigation finds that his agency failed the community of Uvalde. "Then, absolutely, I need to go," he said.
The investigation is expected to be completed in two months.
“But I can tell you this right now: DPS as an institution, right now, did not fail the community — plain and simple,” McCraw said at the meeting.
Immediately after the shooting, McCraw and others sought to blame the slow response on the school district's small police force and its chief, Pete Arredondo, who was incident commander on the scene. Arredondo was eventually fired.
Since June, the actions of nearly 400 law enforcement officers from various agencies who were on the school have come under heavy criticism.
In July, the Texas legislature released a report blaming the response on "systemic failures" and poor leadership.
McCraw's agency is evaluating the actions of the 91 state police officers, he said. Among them seven of the DPS officers are under investigation by its internal affairs division, while one officer was fired earlier this month.
During the meeting, Jesse Rizo, uncle of Jacklyn Cazares, a 9-year-old girl who was killed in the shooting, accused McCraw and his agency of concealing information or providing misinformation about the incident.
"Closure to our families is not an option until we have the answer and hold those responsible, accountable," said Manual Rizo, also an uncle of Cazares, to the commission.
Reuters
Fri Oct 28 2022
![Relatives of Uvalde victims call on 'disgraced' Texas public safety director to resign Relatives of Uvalde victims call on 'disgraced' Texas public safety director to resign](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/71666923779_TEXAS.jpg)
Privacy barriers and bike racks maintain a perimiter at a memorial outside Robb Elementary School the day after the video showing the May shooting inside the school released, in Uvalde, Texas, U.S., July 13, 2022. - REUTERS/Filepic
![Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini: Suspek berkhidmat 5 tahun dalam PDRM Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini: Suspek berkhidmat 5 tahun dalam PDRM](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721102947_suspekbunuhNurFar.jpg)
Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini: Suspek berkhidmat 5 tahun dalam PDRM
Anggota berusia 26 tahun terbabit bertugas di Balai Polis Slim River di bawah Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Muallim dengan pangkat lans koperal.
![Perunding pelaburan didakwa terlibat pengubahan wang haram hampir RM1 juta Perunding pelaburan didakwa terlibat pengubahan wang haram hampir RM1 juta](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721117052_SaifulNizamSaharud.jpg)
Perunding pelaburan didakwa terlibat pengubahan wang haram hampir RM1 juta
Seorang perunding pelaburan mengaku tidak bersalah atas empat pertuduhan pengubahan wang haram berjumlah hampir RM1 juta.
Purata suhu meningkat 0.24 darjah celcius per dekad
Berdasarkan rekod dari tahun 1969 hingga 2019, purata suhu bulanan di Semenanjung Malaysia pada bulan Mei 2024 adalah 28.8 darjah celcius manakala purata suhu bulanan pada bulan Mei 1974 iaitu 50 tahun yang lalu adalah 26.6 darjah celcius.
ADUN dari kerajaan perpaduan sertai Pas
Menurut Takiyuddin, keahlian Muhamad Jailani yang juga wakil rakyat UMNO diterima pada 10 Jun tahun lalu, namun diumumkan secara rasmi hari ini.
![Kerajaan lihat semula perjanjian penjualan air kepada Singapura - Fadillah Kerajaan lihat semula perjanjian penjualan air kepada Singapura - Fadillah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81720085306_FadillahYusof.jpg)
Kerajaan lihat semula perjanjian penjualan air kepada Singapura - Fadillah
Fadillah berkata perkara itu sudah berlaku ketika zaman pentadbiran bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad lagi.
![Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-07/51658407048_Cabul.jpg)
Pelancong asing ditahan disyaki cabul pekerja spa di Pulau Perhentian
Polis menahan seorang pelancong lelaki warga Maghribi kerana disyaki mencabul seorang juruterapi wanita rakyat tempatan di Pulau Perhentian.
Warga Thailand seludup diesel dihadapkan mahkamah
Seorang pemandu lori warga Thailand dihadapkan ke mahkamah atas menyeleweng 322 liter minyak diesel minggu lalu.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas: YB Kampar minta buka riben putih
Susulan pengumuman ADUN Rembia sertai Pas dalam sidang media, YB Kampar, Chong Zhemin kemuka Peraturan Mesyuarat dan menyifatkan satu penghinaan besar buat Parlimen.
#SisiTVParlimen
#AWANInews
#SisiTVParlimen
#AWANInews
![Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41720590984_DatukSeriMohamadH.jpg)
Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad
Mohamad Hasan berkata buat masa ini, kerja-kerja penandaan dan pengukuran di lapangan telah meliputi 175.96 km atau 33.3 peratus daripada keseluruhan jarak sempadan.
Kim Pan Gon undur diri kesan kepada Harimau Malaya
Apa reaksi peminat Harimau Malaya dan penganalisis sukan mengenai peletakan jawatan Kim Pan-Gon?