FROM MY CORNER: One Hour in Texas
The Texas police arrived four minutes after the shooter entered the school. One hour later, not a single policeman had stormed the school and engaged the killer. The only reason given by police leaders was that they were waiting for body armor and reinforcements before taking on the single heavily-armed shooter.
Pardon me. Being a policeman means that such a situation demands Immediately placing one’s life at risk, immediately entering the school, immediately finding the shooter, and immediately engaging him. That is the job.
Waiting an hour for reinforcements and body army while the killer shoots some twenty people, if these police they were not trained and prepared to immediately storm the school and accept the risk to their lives, they should not have signed up for the job in the first place.
The school doors were unlocked.
An 18 year-old, whose brain had not yet developed adult thinking capacity, was allowed to buy automatic weapons with giant ammunition capacity magazines – primarily to enrich the wealth of corporate gun manufacturers.
No one guarded entry to the school.
One hour later. Eighteen children and two teachers had been shot dead.
On any and all possible counts – No excuses acceptable.
Absolutely none.
Hal