US Elementary School Shooting Incident: Officer Dismissed for Inadequate Response

Non-compliance with On-site Response Manual... Camera Captures Standing Without Entering
Arrived First but Entered Classroom 70 Minutes After Incident, Increasing Damage

A police officer who inadequately responded to the mass shooting incident at an elementary school in Texas last May was dismissed. The photo shows memorial crosses for the victims of the Texas elementary school shooting. Photo by AP News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A police officer was dismissed for inadequate response to the mass shooting incident that occurred at an elementary school in Texas, USA, on May 24.

On the 21st (local time), foreign media including AP News and The New York Times (NYT) reported that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the state government police organization, issued a dismissal notice in writing to Sergeant Juan Maldonado. This is the first time a DPS officer has been dismissed in connection with this incident. Sergeant Maldonado was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene at Rob Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where the shooting took place.

The gunman, Salvador Ramos (18), entered the school building carrying an AR-15 rifle, killing 19 students and 2 teachers, injuring another 17, and was shot dead about an hour later by a U.S. federal Border Patrol tactical team that entered the classroom. This incident ranks as the third deadliest school shooting in the U.S., following the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

The incident was criticized for a significant increase in casualties due to initial response failures and police misjudgments. Approximately 400 officers responded to the scene after the incident was reported, including personnel from DPS, Uvalde city police, school police, and U.S. federal Border Patrol officers, with about 90 DPS officers being the largest group.

In particular, DPS officers were heavily criticized after it was revealed that they hesitated and delayed entering the scene, failing to follow the on-site response manual. According to the NYT report, Sergeant Maldonado was captured on camera standing at the door without entering the school building where the shooting was ongoing after arriving at the school.

Meanwhile, on the 20th, CNN exclusively reported that Joel Betancourt, who served 15 years at DPS, is under internal investigation for allegedly ordering officers not to enter the building during the incident. Betancourt, once regarded as a competent mid-level executive, reportedly instructed DPS officers at the scene not to enter the school building. The exact timing of when he gave this order has not been confirmed.

Ultimately, the police entered the scene only after 70 minutes had passed since the incident began. The tactical team members who shot the perpetrator reportedly defied radio orders to "not enter the classroom," stating "waiting for permission is over," and subdued the situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.