More than three years after the massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, newly released recordings are revealing — in unsettling detail — what unfolded inside and outside the school on May 24, 2022. The footage shows hallways lined with heavily armed officers, a police chief calling through a classroom door to the gunman and anguished parents outside the school pleading for someone to act.
The shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, killed 19 children and two teachers that day. As it was happening, nearly 400 officers waited more than an hour before confronting him — a delay later faulted by state and federal reviews as “cascading failures.”
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The records release, resulting from a lengthy legal battle, captures stalled negotiations, confusion in the ranks and the grief outside — offering one of the clearest views of the response.
Roughly six hours of body cam footage, released alongside thousands of pages of reports, offer a minute-by-minute view of stalled negotiations, uncertainty in the hallway and urgent pleas from outside.
What did the footage capture inside the hallway?
Body camera footage in both earlier and newly released videos shows then–school district police chief Pete Arredondo spending more than 30 minutes trying to talk to Ramos, who had barricaded himself in two connected classrooms with dozens of children.
The recordings capture Arredondo calling through the classroom door — which officers believed was locked — in both English and Spanish: “We don’t want anyone else hurt, sir. These are innocent children.”
Ramos never replied.
At times, officers in the hallway asked if the gunman had spoken or if the door was locked. Arredondo has said he focused on evacuating other classrooms and waited for better-equipped backup.
According to state and federal reviews, nearly 400 officers from local, state and federal agencies converged on the school but waited more than an hour before a Border Patrol tactical unit entered and killed Ramos. Investigators later determined the door had been unlocked the entire time.
What was happening outside?
Outside the school, parents begged officers to act.
“Come on, man, my daughter is in there!” one shouted.
Another pleaded, “Either you go in or I’m going in, bro. My kids are in there, bro. … Please!”
Some pushed for immediate action — one was heard saying, “Something needs to be done ASAP.”
What do the records reveal about Ramos?
Documents show sheriff’s deputies had visited Ramos’ home months before the shooting after his mother said she was afraid of him. He had a history of suspensions, disciplinary problems and poor academic performance. Ramos dropped out of high school in 2021.
A kindergarten teacher described Ramos as a bright, motivated learner, but according to the San Antonio Express-News, his behavior and academic performance had declined by third grade. By middle school, records show he had repeated suspensions for bullying, fighting and insubordination, and he struggled with poor attendance and failing grades.
He withdrew from Uvalde High School in October 2021 because of academic failure and absenteeism.
In the weeks before the attack, Ramos made troubling statements online, threatened suicide, referenced other mass shootings and posted messages such as “10 more days.” Investigators say shortly after his 18th birthday, he legally purchased two AR-style rifles and ammunition.
Who faces charges?
Arredondo and former school district officer Adrian Gonzales are the only officers charged for their actions that day. Both face counts of child endangerment and abandonment and have pleaded not guilty.
They are scheduled for trial on Oct. 20.
