Uvalde school district assured parents students were safe, building was 'secure' minutes after gunman entered

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A Facebook post by Robb Elementary as the Uvalde school shooting was unfolding insisted to parents that "students and staff are safe in the building," despite gunman Salvador Ramos entering minutes earlier. 

The message, attributed to Anne Marie Espinoza, executive director of communications and marketing at the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, instructed the community at 11:43 a.m. local time May 24 that "Robb Elementary is under a Lockdown status." 

"Robb Elementary Parents: Please know at this time Robb Elementary is under a Lockdown Status due to gunshots in the area," the message said. 

"The students and staff are safe in the building. The building is secure in a Lockdown Status," it continued. "Your cooperation is needed at this time by not visiting the campus. As soon as the Lockdown Status is lifted you will be notified." 

A police vehicle is parked near a back door at Robb Elementary School Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman entered to get into a classroom last week. (AP/Jae C. Hong)

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Investigators later revealed that Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers in the attack, had entered the school at 11:33 a.m., 10 minutes before the Facebook post. 

Equipment from the San Antonio Fire Department is parked outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 24, 2022. (William Luther/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

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At 12:06 p.m., the school again wrote that "the students and staff are safe in the buildings." 

Salvador Ramos, the Robb Elementary School shooter.

Then, at 12:17 p.m., the school said in another update that "there is an active shooter at Robb Elementary" and "law enforcement is on site." 

When asked to comment on the posts, Espinoza told Fox News Digital that due to the "overwhelming" number of media inquiries the district has received following the shooting, it will "not be providing specific individualized responses to these inquiries and will only be providing public statements."