Meghan Markle paid an unexpected visit to Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday to pay her condolences to the 21 people slain in a school shooting.
The Duchess of Sussex, who resides in California with her hubby Prince Harry and their two kids, was seen laying a bunch of white roses at a monument for the Robb Elementary School shooting victims on Tuesday.
In trousers, a white T-shirt, and a denim baseball cap, the 40-year-old kept it under wraps.
As she laid the bouquet for 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, one of the victims of the attack, the former American actress disregarded inquiries from reporters. Markle was reportedly escorted by Alberto Alvarez, a bodyguard. Alvarez was with Michael Jackson on the moment he died at the age of 50 in June 2009.
Law enforcement officers have been questioned and chastised over the length of time it took them to raid the school and put an end to the rampage that killed 19 youngsters and two teachers.
According to a law enforcement officer, the gunman, Salvador Ramos, entered the school unhindered through an unlocked entrance. According to Victor Escalon, a regional director with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the 18-year-old remained inside the building for at least 45 minutes when Border Patrol agents rushed a classroom and murdered him.
An armed school safety officer is usually present. When Ramos arrived on Tuesday, “there was no cop, immediately available, armed,” according to Escalon, and the gunman entered the premises “unobstructed.”
Many additional aspects of the case, as well as the police response, are still unknown. The motive for the slaughter, which was the bloodiest school shooting in the United States since Newtown, Connecticut, a decade ago, was still unknown, with investigators stating Ramos had no previous criminal or mental health background.
Authorities are still working to determine if the 40-minute to hour period began when the gunman arrived at the school or sooner when he attacked his grandmother at home, according to a department spokesman.
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz did not provide a date, but stated repeatedly that his agency’s tactical personnel that arrived at the school did not hesitate. He claimed they rushed into the building, forming a “stack” behind an agent wielding a shield.
“What we wanted to make sure is to act quickly — act swiftly — and that’s exactly what those agents did,” Ortiz told Fox News.
However, once inside the facility, the Border Patrol agents had problems shattering the classroom door and had to rely on a staff member to access the room with a key, according to a law enforcement official. Because he was not authorised to speak publicly about the probe, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Investigators were trying to figure out if the classroom was sealed or barricaded in any manner, according to Olivarez.
