CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz Reflects on ‘Heart-Stopping’ Moment Texas Officials Admitted Shooting Response Mistakes: ‘I Couldn’t Believe It’

PROKUPECZ I don t ░░░░░░░░ we have a full ░░░░░░░░ as to what transpired ░░░░░░░░ the minutes certainly leading ░░░░░░░░ the school building and ░░░░░░░░ that door when they ░░░░░░░░ 19 police officers were ░░░░░░░░ there law enforcement officials ░░░░░░░░ exactly was going on ░░░░░░░░ were people saying what ░░░░░░░░ happening there We know ░░░░░░░░ made the decision not ░░░░░░░░ storm that classroom It ░░░░░░░░ the head of the ░░░░░░░░ police But there are ░░░░░░░░ so many questions Why ░░░░░░░░ he making this decision ░░░░░░░░ was going on What ░░░░░░░░ other officers thinking in ░░░░░░░░ moments when this decision ░░░░░░░░ made So there are ░░░░░░░░ a lot of questions ░░░░░░░░ we need to get ░░░░░░░░ radio transmissions where the ░░░░░░░░ are talking to each ░░░░░░░░ What was being said ░░░░░░░░ those raw moments of ░░░░░░░░ they weren t going ░░░░░░░░ Were they instructed because ░░░░░░░░ was gunfire that they ░░░░░░░░ to protect their own ░░░░░░░░ Which goes against every ░░░░░░░░ in active shooter situations ░░░░░░░░ Do those transmissions always ░░░░░░░░ out Are they always ░░░░░░░░ record PROKUPECZ So we ░░░░░░░░ request them and we ░░░░░░░░ In some instances they ░░░░░░░░ I m not sure ░░░░░░░░ the law is but ░░░░░░░░ s up to the ░░░░░░░░ department there and the ░░░░░░░░ officials on whether they ░░░░░░░░ to release that But ░░░░░░░░ think releasing that will ░░░░░░░░ us a window into ░░░░░░░░ moments when those officers ░░░░░░░░ in that building Also ░░░░░░░░ to know if the ░░░░░░░░ you know we have ░░░░░░░░ this information that 911 ░░░░░░░░ were being made by ░░░░░░░░ children inside the classroom ░░░░░░░░ for help asking for ░░░░░░░░ police to come in ░░░░░░░░ help them Were those ░░░░░░░░ being relayed to the ░░░░░░░░ officers on the ground ░░░░░░░░ that s something that ░░░░░░░░ need to know as ░░░░░░░░ STELTER When you were ░░░░░░░░ that Friday press conference ░░░░░░░░ Eastern Time when you ░░░░░░░░ the information that the ░░░░░░░░ were out in the ░░░░░░░░ for more than an ░░░░░░░░ that they that the ░░░░░░░░ calls were happening but ░░░░░░░░ the police weren t ░░░░░░░░ out What was going ░░░░░░░░ your mind personally as ░░░░░░░░ were shouting questions PROKUPECZ ░░░░░░░░ you know they came ░░░░░░░░ me with the first ░░░░░░░░ and when I asked ░░░░░░░░ after they went through ░░░░░░░░ entire timeline of the ░░░░░░░░ calls and how many ░░░░░░░░ were inside and when ░░░░░░░░ Director Steve McCraw of ░░░░░░░░ DPS the Department of ░░░░░░░░ Safety when I asked ░░░░░░░░ what did the officers ░░░░░░░░ to break into that ░░░░░░░░ and when he said ░░░░░░░░ me Nothing at that ░░░░░░░░ Brian I couldn t ░░░░░░░░ it It was heart ░░░░░░░░ for me It was ░░░░░░░░ like someone punched me ░░░░░░░░ like someone punched me ░░░░░░░░ the stomach to hear ░░░░░░░░ to hear that Nothing ░░░░░░░░ that time They did ░░░░░░░░ in those moments in ░░░░░░░░ critical moments when they ░░░░░░░░ ve been storming that ░░░░░░░░ By all accounts every ░░░░░░░░ in active shooting situations ░░░░░░░░ have to get to ░░░░░░░░ shooter I was shocked ░░░░░░░░ knew a lot didn ░░░░░░░░ make sense I knew ░░░░░░░░ something was wrong here ░░░░░░░░ I didn t know ░░░░░░░░ me that it was ░░░░░░░░ bad And I was ░░░░░░░░ shocked And the only ░░░░░░░░ I could do is ░░░░░░░░ Why But I didn ░░░░░░░░ even know what else ░░░░░░░░ that moment to ask ░░░░░░░░ where to go because ░░░░░░░░ was shocking to me ░░░░░░░░ it was just nothing ░░░░░░░░ that time.”

STELTER: “Right.”