Outrage over police response in Texas shooting | First Thing

Authorities confirm gunman stayed locked in a classroom for up to an hour with officers massed outside

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Good morning.

Criticism is building over how Texas law enforcement agencies responded to the mass shooting at Robb elementary school in Uvalde, after authorities confirmed yesterday that the gunman remained locked inside a classroom for up to an hour as large numbers of police officers massed outside, with desperate parents begging them to take action.

A video recorded by residents captured the anger of parents at the spectacle of armed police standing outside the school and not going in. The video showed an officer trying to push parents back from the side of the school.

One mother said police put her in handcuffs for interfering in an active investigation" when she urged them to enter the school, according to the Wall Street Journal. Authorities have disputed her account.