Uvalde, Texas – As law enforcement officers hesitated outside Khloie Torres’ fourth-grade classroom during the tragic Uvalde school shooting, Khloie made a desperate series of 911 calls, pleading for help. Whispering into the phone, she informed the dispatcher of the dire situation, mentioning the presence of "a lot" of bodies and expressing her fear, "Please, I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead. Oh, my God."
Despite her harrowing calls, nearly 400 officers waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman, an 18-year-old named Salvador Ramos. The delayed response has been widely condemned, sparking outrage among the victims’ families and the broader community.
Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old nephew Uziyah Garcia was among those killed, voiced his anger at the delayed release of the 911 calls and other crucial records. "If we thought we could get anything we wanted, we’d ask for a time machine to go back … and save our children," Cross said, emphasizing the need for justice, accountability, and transparency.
Jesse Rizo, who lost his 9-year-old niece Jacklyn Cazares in the shooting, expressed renewed anger upon hearing the released information. "Perhaps if they were to have breached earlier, they would have saved some lives, including my niece’s," Rizo lamented.
The released recordings, obtained after a legal battle by the Associated Press and other news organizations, shed light on the failures of law enforcement during the May 24, 2022, massacre at Robb Elementary School, one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
On Facebook, the public shared their outrage and grief. Joanne Valente commented, "I hope they all got fired. To think not one of them tried to go into that classroom—shame on you." Al DeJesus echoed this sentiment, saying, "Same officers that when they pull you over for speeding are screaming at the top of their lungs but too scared to rush into a school while kids are being killed." Nanda Syifa offered prayers for the families affected by this tragedy.
The response from law enforcement has been under intense scrutiny, with multiple federal and state investigations revealing significant issues in training, communication, and leadership. Two officers involved in the response now face criminal charges, with more potentially to follow as families continue to seek justice.
Khloie’s 911 call is a chilling reminder of the lives lost and the urgent need for accountability in preventing such tragedies in the future.