During Thursday’s White House Press Briefing, the administration refused to directly respond to questions and inquiries asking if the White House would be investigating the reportedly slow response of local police during the shooting.
The administration has refused to investigate the police response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. They have noted President Biden “has the utmost respect for the men and women of law enforcement.”
Police have come under intense scrutiny for their sluggish response to the tragic shooting on Tuesday. Parents reportedly attempted to enter the school themselves before a Border Patrol team finally rushed in.
“I know that right now, authorities are working to piece together more details of what happened in Uvalde, so we won’t prejudge the result from here at this time,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to questions on Thursday. “It is always a good idea to look back and try to find any lessons we can learn, especially from tragedies like this, so that we can prevent them moving forward, including the law enforcement response.”
Police waited about 40 minutes after the gunman entered Robb Elementary School. During that time, the gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
The mass shooting ended with the Border Patrol team rushing in and killing the 18-year-old shooter.
Witnesses cited by the Associated Press noted that they were shouting at police to enter the building to save those inside.
According to a Facebook video, a group of adults began yelling at officers just before noon to let them inside if the police refused to enter the school and arrest the stop the shooter.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed Biden’s support for law enforcement. She refused to acknowledge questions related to a potential investigation of the local law enforcement after Tuesday’s events.