UVALDE, Texas (AP) — A Texas state senator says he's been informed the Uvalde school district police chief was not carrying a radio as the massacre unfolded.
Sen. Roland Gutierrez told The Associated Press Friday that a Texas Department of Public Safety official told him Chief Pete Arredondo was without a radio when the gunman killed 19 students and two teachers.
Arredondo has not responded to multiple interview requests from AP since the attack.
The head of the DPS has criticized Arredondo for acting too slowly.
Texas DPS Col. Steven McCraw said during a press conference that Arredondo's decision to delay officers' actions while waiting for more resources was the "wrong decision."
At the time of the shooting, 911 was getting calls from terrified children inside the school. Gutierrez said Arredondo was not informed of the calls.
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said that a police negotiator attempted to call the gunman inside Robb Elementary School as Arredondo believed the massacre evolved into a barricade situation.
Standard best practices dictate that officers confront active shooters as soon as possible. It reportedly took authorities more than an hour to confront the shooter, who was killed at the scene.