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‘I don’t want to die’: Newly released 911 calls from inside Uvalde school massacre

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Newly released 911 calls and bodycam footage from May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, shows the scene of the mass school shooting that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. There was a lengthy legal battle between news organizations and Uvalde officials over the public release of more information from that day.

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The media argued that the public deserved to see more as it searched for answers and accountability for what has been described as a “botched” police response. The shooter locked himself in a classroom for more than an hour before officers confronted and killed him.

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The new recordings started with the voice of 10-year-old Khloie Torres, who survived the shooting. She called 911 from her classroom, pleading for help.

“I’m in classroom 112, 112, 112 yes ma’am,” Torres said. “Please hurry, there’s a lot of dead bodies… please help, I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead. Oh my God.”

“One of my teachers is dead, miss. (Student in background cries) Be quiet!” Torres continued.

While Torres was inside the classroom, law enforcement was outside. Video shows teachers fearfully being evacuated as officers cleared classrooms and communicated with each other as events unfolded.

Along with the newly released 911 audio and footage, text communications between officers following the shooting were also part of the latest release of information. Many officers expressed fear for their safety as community anger and national frustrations were directed at them in the aftermath.

Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo has been indicted and arrested on counts of child endangerment and criminal negligence for failing to take proper action during the active shooter situation. However, Arredondo recently told CNN that he believes he is being made a scapegoat for the tragedy.

“I went in there right away with the first officers,” Arredondo said. “And just so you know, I never had a vest on and didn’t even think about that.”

“Do you feel like you guys are being singled out, scapegoated?” Ed Lavandera, a CNN reporter, said.

“By all means,” Arredondo said. “Since the very beginning, sir. I’ve been scapegoated from the very beginning.”

One other school officer is also facing criminal charges. Some victims’ families are calling for additional officers to be charged and have filed lawsuits.

A Justice Department review found that the police response that day was “riddled with failures,” while a report commissioned by the city defended its local police’s response to the mass shooting.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

THIS STORY –

IS NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY ONE TO LISTEN TO.

WE WANT TO WARN YOU BEFORE WE GET INTO IT –

WE’RE GOING TO BE PLAYING NEWLY RELEASED 911 CALLS AND BODYCAM FOOTAGE FROM MAY 24, 2022 IN UVALDE, TEXAS –

FROM THE SCENE OF THE MASS SCHOOL SHOOTING THAT LEFT 19 CHILDREN AND TWO TEACHERS KILLED.

WHY ARE WE JUST GETTING THESE FILES NOW?

WELL IT WAS A LENGTHY LEGAL BATTLE BETWEEN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS AND UVALDE OFFICIALS TO PUBLICLY RELEASE MORE INFORMATION FROM THAT DAY.

THE MEDIA FELT THE PUBLIC DESERVED TO SEE MORE IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN WHAT’S BEEN DESCRIBED A “BOTCHED” POLICE RESPONSE AS THE SHOOTER WAS ABLE TO LOCK HIMSELF INTO A CLASSROOM FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE BEING CONFRONTED AND KILLED.

NOW – 

A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THAT TIME FRAME.

STARTING WITH THE VOICE OF 10 YEAR OLD KHLOIE TORRES – WHO SURVIVED THE SHOOTING.

SHE CALLED 911 FROM HER CLASSROOM. BEGGING FOR HELP.

AGAIN, THIS MAY BE DIFFICULT TO LISTEN TO.

[KHLOIE TORRES]

“I’m in classroom 1012… 112, 112, 112 yes ma’am.

“Please hurry, there’s a lot of dead bodies….pause…please help, i don’t want to die.my teacher is dead. Oh my god.”

“One of my teachers are dead miss. (student in background cries) be quiet!”

[KARAH RUCKER]

WHILE KHLOIE WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM –

LAW ENFORCEMENT WERE ON THE OUTSIDE.

WE’LL SHOW YOU A COMPILATION OF SOME OF THE NEWLY RELEASED CLIPS –

FROM TEACHERS FEARFULLY BEING EVACUATED AS CLASSROOMS WERE CLEARED.

TO OFFICERS’ COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER AS EVENTS UNFOLDED.

[UVALDE OFFICER]

out out out out shh shh shh

you want me to see if i can talk to him or what? No, he’s not talking he shot 40-50 rounds at least.

watch the kids watch the kids

where’s the suspect, where’s the suspect? He’s dead. He’s dead.

[KARAH RUCKER]

ALONG WITH NEWLY RELEASED 911 AUDIO AND FOOTAGE –

**TEXT COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN OFFICERS FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING WERE **ALSO PART OF THE LATEST RELEASE OF INFORMATION.

MANY OF THEM – EXPRESSING FEAR FOR **THEIR SAFETY AS COMMUNITY ANGER AND NATIONAL FRUSTRATIONS FELL AT THEIR FEET IN THE AFTERMATH.

NOW-FORMER UVALDE SCHOOL POLICE CHIEF PETE ARREDONDO HAS BEEN INDICTED AND BOOKED ON COUNTS OF CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE FOR FAILING TO TAKE PROPER ACTION IN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION.

BUT ARREDONDO TOLD CNN THIS PAST WEEK – HE BELIEVES HE IS A SCAPEGOAT IN THE TRAGEDY.

[PETE ARREDONDO]

“I went in there right away with the first officers. And then, just so you know, i never had a vest on and didn’t even think about that.”

[ED LAVANDERA]

“Do you feel like you guys are being singled out, scapegoated?”

[PETE ARREDONDO]

“By all means. Since the very beginning, sir. I’ve been scapegoated from the very beginning.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

ONE OTHER SCHOOL OFFICER IS ALSO FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES.

SOME VICTIM’S FAMILIES ARE CALLING FOR MORE OFFICERS TO BE CHARGED –

AND HAVE FILED LAWSUITS.

A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REVIEW FOUND THE POLICE RESPONSE THAT DAY WAS “RIDDLED WITH FAILURES.”

A REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY – DEFENDED ITS LOCAL POLICE IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THE MASS SHOOTING.