MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Helpless parents in Uvalde, Texas cried out in anguish, physically restrained, on a Tuesday afternoon which will haunt them forever.
He was told to stay back while a crazed shooter stayed at Robb Elementary, for at least an hour, with 22 magazines, executing 19 young children and two teachers in one class.
READ MORE: Residents are tired of Biscayne Bay parties
Texas law enforcement is now being criticized for slow response times.
“It’s sad, it’s heartbreaking, but it’s no surprise really not much has changed between the mass shootings,” said retired Hallandale Beach Police Department major Ed McGovern.
It’s a sad reality from someone who knows. McGovern says there’s always one thing that slows down response times on mass casualty scenes.
“The communications failure is always evident,” McGovern noted.
That’s why McGoverns developed something called CERA to give first responders an eye for future mass shooting scenes.
“WWe are still using outdated technology.
READ MORE: ‘Hidden Worlds’: an immersive journey into the deepest oceans and fascinating mangroves using state-of-the-art technology
The retired major responded to both the Fort Lauderdale International Airport shooting and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre. And, as a parent himself, he tells us he would have liked to rush to Robb Elementary too, but it’s just not safe.
“If the parents rush, we only add potential victims to the situation.”
texas oneAuthorities are also backtracking on initial reports that the shooter was encountered by an armed school guard.
“I don’t think stories change as things evolve. Any information we have is preliminary,” McGovern explained.
The one thing McGovern tells us he knows for sure is that the training is woefully inadequate.
“EEveryone’s protocols are different and that’s part of the problem. I can tell you that there is no law enforcement agency in this country that is sufficiently trained.
McGovern would not speculate on why law enforcement waited so long on Tuesday, telling us only how he was trained.
NO MORE NEWS: Haiti’s Contributions to South Florida on Full Display at Haitian Heritage Month Art Exhibit
“OYour objective is to enter and start a confrontation with this shooter, that’s what we have to do. Because if that shooter engages us, he can’t get to the other victims.