Law enforcement officials reportedly waited outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, while the 18-year-old shooter was inside.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that while police officers were outside, onlookers were urging them to enter the building.
“Go in there! Go in there!” women reportedly shouted to the officers.
However, Juan Carranza, who witnessed the incident from outside his house, noted that the officers did not charge the building.
The AP noted, “Javier Cazares, whose fourth grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, said he raced to the school when he heard about the shooting, arriving while police were still gathered outside the building.”
Cazares reportedly suggested to other onlookers, “Let’s just rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to.”
“More could have been done,” he said, adding, “They were unprepared.”
While the shooter encountered a school district security guard, he was able to enter the school through a back door.
Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN that the victims were all in the same fourth-grade classroom.
He explained that the shooter “barricaded himself by locking the door and just started shooting children and teachers that were inside that classroom.”
“It just shows you the complete evil of the shooter,” he added.
Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told reporters that between 40 minutes and an hour passed from when the gunman shot at the security guard to when was shot by a tactical team.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin tweeted, “Border Patrol sources tell me an elite BORTAC Border Patrol agent is believed to have shot and killed the gunman at Robb Elementary School.”
”I’m told he entered with a tactical team while TX LEOs were engaged w/ barricaded shooter. Agent was injured,” he added.
NEW: Border Patrol sources tell me an elite BORTAC Border Patrol agent is believed to have shot and killed the gunman at Robb Elementary School today. I’m told he entered with a tactical team while TX LEOs were engaged w/ barricaded shooter. Agent was injured. @FoxNews
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 25, 2022
Tuesday’s shooting marks the second deadliest shooting at an elementary school in U.S. history.
Nineteen children and two adults were killed.