Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has launched an attack against a Texas State authority after the local police's actions in the Robb Elementary school shooting were called an "abject failure."
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) leader Col. Steven McCraw spoke about the conduct of the Uvalde Police Department during a Texas Senate Special Committee meeting on Tuesday.
Following the comments, McLaughlin claimed State officials were attempting to "mislead" the public with the leaking of information about the shooting. This is while a formal investigation surrounding the conduct of officers is still ongoing.
"There is compelling evidence that the law enforcement response to the attack at Robb Elementary was an abject failure and antithetical to everything we've learned over the last two decades since the Columbine massacre," McCraw said.
"Three minutes after the subject entered the West building, there was a sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor to isolate, distract and neutralize the subject."
These comments come following reports that surveillance footage from the shooting shows officers had more than enough firepower and protection to confront the gunman.
The report comes days after the San Antonio Express-News reported that surveillance footage from the school showed officers did not try to open the door leading to the classrooms where the gunman was located.
The details add to the mounting frustration felt by the families of the victims as officials continue to resist releasing information that could clarify much about the law enforcement response to the shooting, including body camera footage from the officers at the scene.
Responding to the criticism from McGraw on Tuesday evening, McLaughlin said that the "gloves were off" and the local police would be sharing all the information they get going forward, according to a Texas Tribune report.
"McCraw has continued to, whether you want to call it, lie, leak...mislead or misstate information in order to distance his own troopers and rangers from the response," he said.
"The gloves are off. If we know it, we will share it."
There is no evidence as yet that McGraw has lied, leaked information or deliberately mislead the public during his comments and appearances.
The fact that law enforcement officials have provided conflicting information about how the shooting happened, as well as there being a perceived reluctance to release information to the public, has sparked allegations of a cover-up.
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica said it had submitted about 70 public information requests in the month since the shooting and that government officials have yet to provide a single record.
And Vice reported last week that the city of Uvalde and its police department are working with a private law firm to prevent the release of public records related to the shooting. Those records include body camera footage as well as photos, 911 audio recordings, emails, criminal records and more.
Some of the records could be "highly embarrassing" and involve "emotional/mental distress," the lawyers argued in a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, the outlet reported.
Newsweek has contacted the Uvalde Police Department, Don McLaughlin and Steven McCraw for comment.
