Parents are still reeling from the horrific Uvalde tragedy, and the recently released footage showing the aftermath of the school shooting is giving them a clearer picture of what took place.
The newly released video comes a year after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary and murdered 19 fourth graders and two educators on May 24th, 2022. The disturbing footage shows the five survivors of Classroom 112 being rescued by police officers. The responding deputies have been heavily criticized for failing to intervene sooner. An investigation has shown that authorities took over 77 minutes to intervene. One young survivor, who made headlines for smearing her classmate’s blood on her, can be seen in that footage. Another traumatized student is seen crying while exiting the building after escaping bullets during the ordeal.
Though the footage is deeply troubling, the parents of surviving children want people to see the immense impact the shooting had on their kids. They also want the world to understand just how long the students were trapped with Ramos while the police failed to act.
“If she went through it, I should be strong enough to see it,” said parent Jamie Torres, whose daughter Khloie survived the shooting. “I want to see everything that hurt my baby.”
CNN decided to release the footage after an outcry from parents of both surviving and deceased children. They have all slammed Uvalde authorities for going silent after the shooting. Several parents have complained that they’ve had to find details about the massacre via social media. District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee previously prevented the footage from being shown until her investigation was complete. Because of this, CNN made the decision to release it themselves, with the blessing of parents.
