Earlier this week surveillance video of the tragic school shooting that happened in Uvalde, TX was released. As the public watched how the incident unfolded through the footage, many people took to social media to share their thoughts on how the officers at the scene reacted during the incident.
In the footage, one of the officers, Ruben Ruiz, could be seen checking his phone during the shooting. As folks criticized the officer for being on his phone as the school shooting occurred, Texas state Rep. Joe Moody took to Twitter in Ruiz’s defense to share that he is actually the husband of Eva Mireles, one of the teachers that were unfortunately killed during the shooting.
“This is the husband of teacher Eva Mireles, who contacted him on his phone from her classroom while he was on-scene to say that she’d been shot and was dying.” He continued to share that he did not plan on speaking about the incident until the report was released. However, he could not “say nothing seeing this man, who’s lost everything, maligned as if he was indifferent or actively malicious.”
Moody continued to share that Ruiz attempted to engage during the shooting, but he was removed and disarmed. “We’ll have much to say about the police response, but no criticism of this officer,” he concluded.
This is the husband of teacher Eva Mireles, who contacted him on his phone from her classroom while he was on-scene to say that she’d been shot and was dying. ½#txlege #Uvalde pic.twitter.com/C7m64uBmaQ
To those who haven’t bothered to read even the news that’s been reported in your rush to judgment, he attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed. We’ll have much to say about the police response, but no criticism of this officer.
As previously reported, back in May the Texas Department of Public Safety shared a detailed timeline of how the events unfolded, and it was revealed that it took officers over an hour to come in contact with the shooter to finally put an end to the tragic incident.
At the time, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, acknowledged that officers could have entered the classroom sooner to stop the shooter, saying, “From the benefit of hindsight, where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision, period. There’s no excuse for that.”
We continue to keep those affected by this tragic incident lifted in prayer.
TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94