Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas stated that he is "absolutely livid" over being "misled" about the police response to the shooting at the Uvalde elementary school. He has demanded a thorough inquiry.

Abbott stated that his earlier statements praising the response were based on what he had been told by police and state officials and that he was repeating detailed notes he had taken during briefings. Abbott's comments came hours after officials refuted reports that officers immediately engaged the shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers on Tuesday.

"I was deceived. "I am enraged by what occurred," he stated. I am enraged that the information I was given turned out partially false.

Children dialed 911 during a school siege in Texas: "Please send the police."

According to Abbott, state police and the FBI must "thoroughly, exhaustively" investigate what occurred.

"It is imperative that the leaders of the investigations determine exactly what transpired down to the second," added the governor.

Abbott informed reporters in the hours following the incident at Robb Elementary School that cops had engaged the shooter before entering the school, and he praised the police response.

New information has portrayed a completely different picture in the days following the massacre. Officials confessed on Friday morning that the school district's police chief made a "mistake" by waiting more than 45 minutes before breaching the closed classroom where the shooter opened fire. This briefing occurred three days after officials provided frequently contradictory and inaccurate information regarding the 90 minutes from the time 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school and the time U.S. Border Patrol agents unlocked the classroom door and killed him.

Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, stated at a frequently contentious news conference on Friday that school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who was commanding the scene at the time, believed that Ramos had barricaded himself in adjoining classrooms and that children were no longer in danger.

McCraw stated that instructors and children continuously dialed 911 for assistance throughout the attack.

Contrary to assertions made by officials, including Abbott, no school district police officer was present when Ramos arrived. McCraw stated that when the officer responded, he drove past Ramos, who was concealed behind a parked car, and fired at the building.

McCraw stated that Ramos entered the school through a propped-open rear door and shot more than 100 rounds into two classrooms. He did not explain why the door was propped open.

McCraw reported as many as 19 officers in the hallway outside the classroom where Ramos murdered 21 people when border officials were about to enter. McCraw claimed that Arredondo thought the group should wait to face the gunman because he believed the situation was no longer under active attack.

Abbott complimented the police's reaction and stated that their actions saved lives at his first press conference following the shooting.

"The situation could have been worse. "The only reason it wasn't worse is that law enforcement did their jobs," the governor stated. McCraw stated on Friday that investigators do not know if any children perished as officers waited in the corridor.

Abbott canceled his participation at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Houston, which occurred around the same time as his press conference.

The governor instead gave a prerecorded video statement. He reiterated that stricter gun restrictions would not have prevented the shooting in Uvalde, a message he repeated at the news conference.

Abbott declared at the press conference that his administration would provide free mental health care services to anyone in Uvalde who dials a toll-free number.

Later, he stated that mental health reform was the way to prevent future mass shootings, rejecting reporters' inquiries about increasing background checks or raising the minimum age of gun ownership to 18.

At one point, Democratic State Senator Roland Gutierrez interrupted the news conference to implore Governor Abbott to convene a special legislative session to discuss answers to the Uvalde shooting, including gun control measures.

"We must take action, man," Gutierrez stated. Call us back.

The incident echoed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke's clash with Abbott two days before at another press conference, where he accused Abbott of "doing nothing" to combat gun violence.

Abbott authorized Texans to carry concealed weapons without a license or training last year. Other legislation enacted in 2021 permitted school marshals and hotel guests to carry firearms and deemed gun dealers essential businesses.