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Sister of Uvalde officer: Police were inside building 'entire time' trying to get 'right angle' on shooter

By Andrew Miller, Lisa Bennatan

Published May 26, 2022

Fox News
Sister of Uvalde police officer says officers were in school 'the entire time' but could not spot shooter Video

A resident of Uvalde, Texas tells Fox News Digital that police officers were on the scene and in the building the "entire time" attempting to subdue alleged school shooter Salvador Ramos as questions arise over how long it took law enforcement to neutralize the shooter.

"I know my brother says they were inside the building the entire time," Patricia Chapa, who says her brother is a police officer in Uvalde, said. "They just never had him at the right angle. He had them in the wrong spot."

Chapa added, "They were in there, they were in the hallway, they just couldn’t get in there fast enough. But, they also couldn’t just rush in there like people think that it was so easy for them just to run in."

Questions have surfaced regarding the timeline of events during Tuesday’s shooting, which left 19 children and 2 faculty members dead, after Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said on Wednesday that the gunman could have been in the school for 40 minutes to an hour before being shot and killed by law enforcement.

TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: LIVE UPDATES 

uvalde-texas-robb-elementary-mass-shooting-memorial

Stephanie and Michael Chavez of San Antonio pay their respects at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School, the site of a mass shooting, in Uvalde, Texas, U.S., May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona (REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona)

A department spokesman said later that they could not give a solid estimate of how long the gunman was in the school or when he was killed.

"Go in there! Go in there!" A woman standing outside the school shouted at police officers after shots rang out. The officers had allegedly surrounded the area and were keeping people away from the crime scene, according to witnesses. 

Family prays together at vigil

Community in Uvalde, Texas gather together to pray for the victims at Robb Elementary School. (Fox News Digital)

UVALDE MOTHER LIVING NEAR SCHOOL SHARES TEACHER'S HEROIC ACTIONS DURING ROBB ELEMENTARY SHOOTING

Javier Cazares, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, was also standing outside and suggested a group of civilians "rush in because the cops aren’t doing anything like they are supposed to. More could have been done. They were unprepared."

Officials say the shooter "encountered" a school district security officer outside the school, though there were conflicting reports from authorities on whether the men exchanged gunfire.

The Austin American-Statesman reported on Thursday that authorities have confirmed they are examining the timeline of the police response to the active shooter situation amid questions about conflicting witness statements.

A woman holds a sign that reads, 'Prayers 4 Uvalde'

A local resident holds a placard that reads  Prayers 4 Uvalde as they grieve for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

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The Texas Department of Public Safety, who is leading the investigation into the shooting, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

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