XPost: alt.politics.democrats, alt.politics.media, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: zinn@reno.us   
      
   The American-Statesman is publishing a video account of the delayed police   
   response at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde after a gunman walked into   
   two classrooms and killed 19 children and their two teachers.   
      
   The video that we obtained is one hour and 22 minutes long. It is tragic   
   to listen to and watch. Our decision to publish, along with our news   
   partner, KVUE, comes after long and thoughtful discussions.   
      
   The Statesman is publishing two versions of the video, one that we edited   
   to just over four minutes and highlights critical moments: the ease of   
   gunman entering the school, how he shot his way into the classroom, the   
   repeated sound of gunfire, and then the delay by police to stop the killer   
   for 77 minutes as dozens of heavily armed officers stage in the school   
   hallway before a group finally storm the classroom and kill the gunman.   
      
   We are also publishing the entire video for those who want to see what we   
   obtained. In both videos we blurred the identity of a child who exits a   
   bathroom as the shooter approaches the classroom. The child runs back to   
   bathroom to hide and was later rescued. We also have removed the sound of   
   children screaming as the gunman enters the classroom. We consider this   
   too graphic.   
      
   We have also chosen to show the face of the gunman as he enters this   
   school. Our news organization guidelines state that we should not glorify   
   these individuals and give them the notoriety that they seek. We chose, in   
   this instance, to show his face to chisel away at any conspiracy that we   
   are hiding something. This last point included much discussion among our   
   senior leaders, our Managing Editor for Standards Michael McCarter, our   
   lead reporter, Tony Plohetski, and his editor, Bob Gee.   
      
   We also are publishing a narrative story. Our editorial process for the   
   video and story also included a thorough legal review. Our goal is to   
   continue to bring to light what happened at Robb Elementary, which the   
   families and friends of the Uvalde victims have long been asking for.   
      
   The video starts with the gunman wrecking a pickup truck outside the   
   school, then shooting at two good Samaritans who are not hit and flee. The   
   gunman jumps a fence and walks toward the school and he begins shooting   
   again. By then, callers have dialed 911, children are running. The audio   
   of a 911 call is included in the video. The killer opens the outside door   
   to the elementary school and enters, now with a bit more caution, toward   
   the classrooms where he opens fire.   
      
   You hear children screaming, and more gun shots, followed by a pause, and   
   then more gunshots, and then sporadic gunshots. Authorities have said he   
   fired more than 100 shots. Some three minutes after the shooting begins,   
   three officers initially respond and run to the classroom door, where   
   there is more gunfire, and the three officers retreat to the end of the   
   hallway and stand behind the corners that provide some cover.   
      
   For the next hour-plus, officers congregate and amass in the hallway and   
   then more show up. Heavily armed officers from at least five agencies   
   stand in the hallway that lead to the classrooms. These officers carry   
   dozens of high-powered rifles, handguns, vests, helmets, camouflage gear   
   and shields.   
      
   We know now — thanks to the many news organizations that continue to dig   
   for the facts — that some students quietly called 911 from inside the   
   classroom for help, a critically wounded teacher could hear officers just   
   outside the classroom, and that 911 dispatchers were fielding the calls of   
   desperation.   
      
   We also know that exasperated parents, family members and bystanders   
   standing outside the school begged authorities to do something.   
      
   After 77 minutes, the video shows the officers breach the classroom. There   
   is gunfire and we know that the gunman was shot dead. And then the video   
   shortly ends. What we do not see is the officers when they see or realize   
   the death toll inside the classrooms.   
      
   We have to bear witness to history, and transparency and unrelenting   
   reporting is a way to bring change.   
      
   This tragedy has been further tragic by changing stories, heroic-sounding   
   narratives proven to be false and a delay or in most cases rejection of   
   media requests for public information by law enforcement leaders, public   
   officials and elected leaders. Many of the requests now rest in the hands   
   of Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, who has not yet decided what   
   should be released.   
      
   But there are also heroes: elected leaders, public officials, law   
   enforcement officers, survivors of the massacre who want the truth out.   
   The truth always wins, maybe not on our clock, but the truth always   
   prevails.   
      
   And that is the reason that we publish alongside KVUE.   
      
   This story is part of a much larger public records and legal battle from   
   our journalists, aligned with reporters in Uvalde, around Texas and the   
   United States, to obtain all videos of the tragedy, body-camera footage,   
   communications, 911 calls and more.   
      
   We are all aligned for the truth. Thank you for your time and support.   
   Please consider coming alongside us and support our public service mission   
   by subscribing to the Statesman.   
      
   https://www.statesman.com/story/opinion/columns/2022/07/12/uvalde-   
   shooting-video-austin-american-statesman-editor-investigation-   
   publish/65371937007/   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)