Police admitted to a stunning string of failures — including driving right by the gunman — in responding to the Texas school shooting while children were being massacred inside, with the head of the state’s Department of Public Safety saying the time for making excuses about the botched response was over.

After days of chaos, inconsistencies, and confusion regarding the timeline for law enforcement’s response at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde (Texas), on Friday, there was a news conference.

Steve McCraw, Texas Department of Public Safety Director, stated that the delay in entering the school where the shooter was seated said, “From the benefit of hindsight, where I am sitting now, it wasn’t the right decision.” This was a bad decision. This is not an excuse.” 

“There were kids in the classroom who were still at danger,” he said.

McCraw said that the gunman entered school via a backdoor he discovered propped open at 11.33 am. He then began shooting in classrooms 1 and 111. He claimed that at least 100 bullets were used in this harrowing attack.

Within a matter of minutes, at most three officers entered the same entrance as the gunman. At 12:03 there was a total of 19 officers in that hallway.

The classroom where the gunman was aiming at was not breached until 12:50, when he was shot and killed.

One of the shockinger revelations from the conference was:

• There was no school resource officer at the school. The shooter was waiting next to him when he got on his feet.
• One teacher propped open the back door of school. The gunman gained entry by opening the back door. 
• A little girl was in the classroom when the gunman attacked. She made a desperate 911 call. She pleaded for help and said, “Please call the police immediately.”
• Two children called 911 to ask for assistance. McCraw stated that they survived the shooting.
• McCraw said the on-scene commander believed “this was a barricaded subject situation” and did not think there were “more children at risk.”
• Fivety-eight magazines had been found. There were three on the body of the shooter, and two in classroom 112; six in class 111. There were five more on the ground and one in the weapon the gunman used. 
• He asked his sister for a gun, but she declined.
• The gunman posted several disturbing posts to Instagram. A group chat with four people took place in March and he commented on buying a firearm. 
• On March 14, he posted on Instagram “10 more days.” A user asked him if he planned to open up school. He answered “No.” You’ll be able to see the results if you stop asking stupid questions.

McCraw was swamped by reporters requesting an explanation for the delay in entering the classroom.

His explanation was that there had been a decision that this was a subject barricaded situation. It was decided that it was possible to grab the keys while waiting for a team of tactical personnel with the right equipment to enter the door. That was the final decision. It was also the thinking process.

After it became clear that the attacker was not stopped, Texas police officers have come under scrutiny. Uvalde Police Department allegedly prevented agents from Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement who arrived at the school between 12 p.m. and 12:10 p.m. — earlier than previously reported — from going inside, two officials told the New York Times on the condition of anonymity. The reason they were not allowed into the school is unclear. The report has not been independently verified by NBC News.

Officials said Thursday that responding officers waited for backup before moving in as the gunman was holed up in a classroom — a move one expert called “disgusting.” 

The researchers also found that gunman was not confronted by a school police officer Unimpeded entry was possible upon arrival. According to the police, the shooter had been confronted earlier by a school resource officers before he was allowed into the building.

This is just the latest of a series of massacres. Black, Asian and Latino communities have been targeted. Tuesday’s shooting has torn at the heart of the tightknit community in UvaldeA large Latino population resides in this area, located just one hour north of Mexico’s border.

This has again sparked debate on gun rights in Texas, which is home to many of the Second Amendment’s most vigilant defenders.

Houston hosted thousands of prominent Republicans, gun owners, and protestors on Friday for the Houston Freedom Ride. National Rifle Association’s annual meeting — just three days after the Uvalde tragedy. The convention will host approximately 70,000 participants over the course of three days. 

Republican Texas Governor. Greg Abbott was supposed to speak, but he opted to skip the event and return to Uvalde.

This is an ongoing story. Stay tuned for new updates.