Funerals Continue For Victims In Uvalde School Shooting As Questions Emerge About Law Enforcement's Response
UVALDE, TEXAS (CBS) -- Funerals continue Wednesday for the victims of last week's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. As the community continues to mourn, there are still questions about law enforcement's initial response.
There are a lot of questions. Many about the law enforcement response. But some are about a door the gunman used to get inside of that school.
There's some new information about that Wednesday as families prepare for another day of funerals.
Amerie Jo Garza and Maite Rodriguez were laid to rest Tuesday.
The 10-year-old 4th-grade classmates were the first funerals of the 21 killed in last week's school shooting.
"I would tell them I loved them and that I am going to miss them," Khloe Torres said.
Torres was their classmate. She recently dyed her hair purple, which is Amerie's favorite color.
"She was only the big friend I had," Torres said
Torres remembers how teachers Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles tried to protect the students from the 18-year-old gunman.
"He shot my friend with the phone. And he shot my teachers, Ms. Garcia and Ms. Mireles.
Garcia's funeral is Wednesday. She'll be buried along with her husband, Joe.
Joe died of a heart attack just days after the shooting, the family says it was a broken heart.
The funeral for 10-year-old Jose Flores is also Wednesday.
Flores' family described him as a happy-go-lucky kid.
"He tried at everything," George Rodriguez said. "Was just a little, little boy, growing up."
Flores' 9-year-old sister was hiding in a nearby classroom and made it out safely.
As the Uvalde community tries to move forward questions remain about that day, including why law enforcement waited so long to enter the classroom.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says the school district's police chief, Pete Arredondo, has not responded to a request from investigators for a follow-up interview.
Police originally said the gunman entered the school through a door propped open by a teacher.
But CBS News has now learned that the door was closed but did not lock.
