'We gotta get in there': new body cam footage reveal Uvalde SWAT chief's pleas for support

New body camera footage released by the Uvalde Police Department on Sunday captured the initial encounter with the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, presenting a glimpse of how the response went so tragically wrong.

The bodycam footage from Sgt. Eduardo Canales, head of Uvalde’s SWAT team, shows his team quietly stalking toward the classroom shooter Salvador Ramos had entered when they come under fire.

“F–k — am I bleeding? Am I bleeding?” Canales asks, who later learns he is bleeding from the ear.

“That’s my wife’s classroom,” says an officer as  he passes on his way out of the school.

Once outside, he can be heard telling arriving officers: “We got to get in there.”

“Dude, we’ve got to get in there. We’ve got to get in there, he just keeps shooting. We’ve got to get in there,” Canales repeats to his peers.

TX: #Uvalde PD SSgt Canales—Commander of SWAT—Inside Robb Elementary w/his rifle & takes on fire. He & other officers retreat. Outside Canales says “we gotta get in there”—Explains the gunman is still firing.

Initial reports from UCISD Chief was officers only had pistols inside. pic.twitter.com/G0MJfl5044

— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) July 18, 2022

The released video came shortly after a scathing 77-page preliminary report by the Texas House committee investigating the Uvalde shooting revealed 376 officers had responded to the incident but did not act immediately due to a lack of leadership and inaccurate information.

"The scene was chaotic, without any person obviously in charge or directing the law enforcement response," said the report.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin also announced Sunday that the city’s acting chief of police, Lt. Mariano Pargas, was being placed on leave as city authorities "investigate whether Lt. Pargas was responsible for taking command on May 24th, what specific actions Lt. Pargas took to establish that command, and whether it was even feasible given all the agencies involved and other possible policy violations."

School district police chief Pete Arredondo has been lying low since being placed on leave last month for his performance as incident commander at the shooting.