The mother who ran into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, during the recent mass shooting there told a news crew this week that police officers were "more aggressive" in trying to prevent her from entering than they were with the shooting suspect.
The woman, Angeli Gomez, told the CBS News crew interviewing her that after rushing to the scene and seeing that responding officers were taking up positions along the school's perimeter even while gunshots were ringing out inside a classroom, she told police she was going inside to retrieve her two sons.
Continuing, she said that officers told her she could not go inside and handcuffed her for a short time. After marshals removed her handcuffs at the direction of Ulvade police, she bolted over a fence and into the school, eventually returning with her sons.
Gomez also said she did not see any officers inside the school building and none of them were actively moving to interdict the shooter, even as he continued firing -- eventually killing 19 children and two adults.
She also said at one point she begged an officer to come along with her to provide her some cover while inside the school after she retrieved her first son, but none would accompany her. She also confirmed to CBS News that the shooting situation was still very much active, and she continued to hear shots being fired throughout her ordeal.
"They could have done something -- gone through the window, sniped him through the window," Gomez said before revealing a shocking accusation.
"I mean, something -- but nothing was being done. If anything, [police] were being more aggressive on us parents," she said. "Like I told one of the officers, 'I don't need you to protect me, get away from me, I don't need your protection. If anything, I need you to go in there with me to go protect my kids. And, if anything, they were being more aggressive on us. They were more [interested] on keeping us back than getting into that school."
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The mom that ran in and saved her kids after being handcuffed in Uvalde finally spoke out. pic.twitter.com/wHNouRkCY7
— barbarism critic (luxury gay space communist arc) (@SxarletRed) June 3, 2022
Gomez was not the only Uvalde resident to rip the lack of timely police response -- cops finally entered the building some 75 minutes after the shooting began.
A Robb Elementary school teacher who lost 11 of his students in the Uvalde, Texas shooting is now saying that he will "never forgive" law enforcement for their response that day, as there is "no excuse for their actions."
Arnulfo Reyes, who is recovering in a hospital after suffering gunshot wounds in the arm, lung and back, made the remark during an interview that aired Tuesday with ABC News.
"After everything, I get more angry because you have a bulletproof vest, I have nothing," he said about police, who have received blistering criticism from around the country.
"You are supposed to protect and serve. There is no excuse for their actions," Reyes added. "And will I never forgive them. I will never forgive them."
Reyes previously told ABC News that the day of the shooting, May 24, began with an awards ceremony for students at the school, noting that some went home afterward. He said 11 students were watching a movie in his class when the first shots rang out.
"The kids start asking out loud, ‘Mr. Reyes, what is going on?' And I said ‘I don’t know what is going on, but let's go ahead and get under the table and act like you are asleep," he said. "As they were doing that and I was gathering them under the table... is about the time when I turned around and saw [the gunman] standing there."
Eventually, police arrived outside the classroom and began negotiating with the shooter to come out, but those efforts were not successful.
"I just remember Border Patrol saying 'get up, get up!’ and I couldn’t get up," Reyes said after an agent stormed the room and killed the gunman.
"I lost 11 that day... I’m sorry, I tried my best with what I was told to do," Reyes told ABC News while fighting back tears. "Please don’t be angry with me."
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