♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, searching for the truth. shocking new details about the police response to the uvalde massacre. >> the law enforcement response to the attack at robb elementary was an abject failure. >> new images of officers with guns and shields at the ready within minutes. >> even though it's scary, that's your job. >> as the school police chief avoids the cameras. >> do you have anything to say to the parents? >> grieving families are demanding answers. >> i just think it's ridiculous that nobody's resigned, nobody's been fired. campaign of intimidation against those who stood up to donald trump's election demands. >> i do not want to be a winner by cheating. >> the january 6th committee hearing from politicians who

paid a personal price. >> my wife started getting attacks and hers typically came in as sexualized attacks, which were disgusting. >> and election workers whose lives were ruined. >> i no longer give out my business card. i don't transfer calls. i don't want anyone knowing my name. night line will be right back.

♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. families of uvalde victims are demanding answers, and their cries are getting louder. especially after today. shocking new images showing police with long guns inside robb elementary within minutes. expert testimony that they could have stopped the gunman much sooner. here's abc's mireya villarreal. >> the law enforcement response to the attack at robb elementary was an abject failure. >> reporter: explosive testimony out of the texas state capitol today as lawmakers attempt to piece together what really happened when a gunman opened fire inside robb elementary, killing 19 children and two tachers. >> the officers had weapons, the children had none. the officers had body armor, the children had none. the officers had training, the subject had none.

>> the people that we counted on to protect us didn't do their jobs. >> reporter: exactly four weeks since that deadly shooting and families still don't have answers. >> how are we supposed to continue our lives here? >> we have to know. we might not like the answer, but we have to know. >> reporter: today all eyes on local law enforcement and its response. many pointing to the chief of police for uvalde's school district. >> anything to the people of uvalde? >> reporter: it's been nearly a month full of confusion and contradictions. >> we're going to go ahead and start. >> reporter: today's special senate hearing at the capitol in austin eliciting some of the most shocking details from the director of texas department of public safety steven mccraw. >> one error, 14 minutes and 8 seconds. that's how long the children waited and the teachers waited in rooms 111 to be rescued. >> reporter: mccraw's office is conducting one of several investigations into the law enforcement response at robb elementary alongside texas

rangers and the fbi, providing another timeline of events compiled from 911 calls, surveillance, and body camera footage. and this stunning revelation. >> three minutes after the subject entered the west building, there was sufficient number of armed officers wearing body armor to isolate, distract, and neutralize the subject. the only thing stopping the hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander. who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children. >> reporter: that information, a stark contrast from what was previously disclosed by authorities. district police chief pete arredondo has previously said the delay in breaching the classroom and confronting the shooter was because they were waiting on backup, equipment, and a key to unlock the door. >> he waited for a key that was never needed. is there any evidence whatsoever that shows through the video as

it was examined later that the door was ever -- that there was an attempt to open the door or test whether or not it was locked? >> we could never see anybody put their hand on the door. and of course up until the breach. and the last -- at the breach we've gone back and talked to the breachers, interviewed the breachers, and they said, no, they didn't try the door handle beforehand. >> reporter: the response is visible for the first time in these surveillance images from inside the school. this photo obtained by abc affiliate kvue in austin, was from 11:52 a.m., 19 minutes after the gunman entered the school. it shows multiple officers standing with rifles and at least one ballistic shield. this photo first obtained by "the texas tribune" which they time stamp at 12:04 p.m. again shows officers in a hallway armed with rifles and now more than one shield. and this photo first obtained by "the new york times" more than

40 minutes later, according to the time stamp on the image, shows a larger group of armed officers gathered in a hallway. in total, dozens of officers waited 77 minutes before entering the classroom. arredondo testified in a different hearing today, but this one behind closed doors. >> anything, anything to the people of uvalde? >> reporter: recently telling "the texas tribune" while he didn't think he was in charge that day, he did call for tactical gear and a sniper. >> obviously not enough training was done in this situation. plain and simple. because a bad decision, terrible decisions. terrible decisions were made by the on-scene commander. roland gutierrez represents uvalde county. >> we've had six massacres in the last two years. six massacres of this proportion. we have to be able to fix the problems. >> it's kind of a gut punch to hear somebody say that there

were kids and teachers behind a door for an hour while there were capable law enforcement officers on the other side of that door. i mean, it's just unimaginable. >> reporter: katherine schweitz spent 20 years as an fbi special agent and created the agency's active shooter program after the 2012 shooting at sandy hook elementary. >> after sandy hook, the first priority we had was to teach all law enforcement officers -- federal, state, local, tribal -- that if there was a shooting under way, they needed to neutralize the shooter. that's a simple prime directive. that's lawful enforcement 101. >> reporter: in 2015, she produced "the coming storm," an fbi training video that dramatizes a campus shooting and how law enforcemen respond. she said officials in texas had that knowle e ailure of execution here. when it comes to the door, how

can you not haveou a way? if you have a ballistic shield, walk up to the door, check the door handle. it's not that complicated. even though it's scary, that's your job. >> reporter: 175 miles away back in uvalde, vincent salazar jr. stopped by robb elementary to visit the makeshift mill. for his granddaughter. >> every single day that i get a chance to come out here. >> reporter: 11-year-old layla salazar was laid to rest five days ago. >> this is a story that has to stay alive so we can have change. >> how can this happen? i don't believe it. my only daughter. it hurts. it still hurts. it's going to hurt for a long time. >> reporter: it's a day layla's father doesn't want to remember but can't seem to forget. >> we want to know what happened in there. we want to know what took the police so long to act. we want to know why they didn't have radios. we want to know why they were in the building with proper equipment and we're told they weren't.

>> reporter: the family also wants to know why arredondo is still employed. >> everything is done behind closed doors when it comes to pete arredondo. which is one of the main factors in this mass shooting, that he did not do his job. do you feel that somebody of this caliber should be responsible for city council if he couldn't do his job as a police officer? >> they failed us. they felt our kids, they felt our city, they felt our community. >> reporter: brett cross, who lost his nephew uziah garcia, has been pressing for answers. >> he and the other children aren't here to fight for themselves, so i will. i'm going to be here every time. i'm not going away. >> reporter: 10-year-old lexi rubio's mother, kimberly, inviting us inside her room. >> this is her bed, her blanket.

i give her several options to wear in the morning, and what she didn't wear, she kept on the bed so it's still there. >> reporter: she's advocating for stricter gun laws while still waiting for the final medical examiner's report to find out exactly when lexi died. >> we don't have any answers. i guess i'm scared that i might not never get them. >> why is that one of the most important for you guys? >> because they can tell us more or less what happened to our child. whether it was immediate or if she could have been saved if they went in faster. >> you guys are worried she could have been one of the ones saved? >> i don't know, i just -- i just -- i think about how long she was there. she was scared. she was in pain. it just worries me. >> that is torture, kim. do you guys feel you have to know?

>> we have to know. we might not like the answer, but we have to know. >> reporter: a feeling shared by so many parents here. >> it leaves an emptiness inside you i can't explain. i wake up with it every morning. we just need change. we can't let this happen to other families. >> our thanks to mireya. up next, the january 6th committee hears from the men and women who refused to be intimidated by the former president. ♪ cer: type 2 diabetes? discover the power of 3 in the ozempic® tri-zone. in my ozempic® tri-zone, i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. announcer: ozempic® provides powerful a1c reduction. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events

such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. and you may lose weight. adults lost up to 14 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. join the millions already taking ozempic®. ask your health care provider about the ozempic® tri-zone. announcer: you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. for your most brilliant smile, crest has you covered.

“nice smile, brad.” “nice!” “thanks?” crest 3d white. 100% more stain removal. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. one prilosec otc in the morning blocks heartburn all day and all night. prilosec otc prevents excess acid production that can cause heartburn. so don't fight heartburn, block it. with prilosec otc.

you want it all, just like i do... well now there's a new way to save with xfinity. now, get unlimited internet, wifi equipment and a free streaming box... ...risk free with no term contract and a 2-year rate guarantee for just $30 a month when you add xfinity mobile. learn how you can get all this and one unlimited line of mobile for 2 years for about the same price you could pay other providers for one unlimited 5g line. it's all part of a new xfinity 3 for 1 bundle. switch today!

when big tobacco's products were found out to be killers, they promised smokers safety. they called it a filter. but this filter wasn't safe or useful, just small and made of microplastics that have endangered us all. for far too long, they have polluted the earth. they're literally everywhere. there's no need to search. big tobacco, you'll have to answer for your despicable ride, for your wake of destruction. your one little big lie. ♪

strong emotions on capitol hill today. republicans and election officials testifying about the terrible price they say they paid under relentless pressure from former president trump to overturn the 2020 election results. here's abc's chief washington correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: today the january 6th committee showed how donald trump tried to pressure state officials to overturn the 2020 election, including staunch trump supporters. exhibit "a," rusty bowers, arizona's republican speaker of the house who had been a solid trump supporter. trump himself even calling bowers, putting rudy giuliani on the phone. who claimed to have evidence of fraud. >> you're asking me to do something against my oat and i will not break my oath. >> reporter: trump and giuliani wanted bowers to convene a special session of the arizona legislature to throw out the electoral votes joe biden won

and replace them with a phoney slate of pro-trump electors. giuliani was relentless. >> he would say, aren't we all republicans here? i would think we would get a better reception. >> reporter: bowers kept asking for evidence of fraud. >> he said, "we've got lots of theories, we just don't have the evidence." >> did anyone provide you with evidence of election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election in arizona? >> no one provided me ever such evidence. >> reporter: even though bowers was a staunch trump supporters, he believed what trump and his allies were asking him was immoral and illegal. >> and i said, you're asking me to do something that's never been done in history, the history of the united states, and i'm going to put my state through that without sufficient proof? and that's going to be good enough with me? that i would put us through that, my state, that i swore to

uphold both in constitution and in law? no, sir. >> reporter: as trump and his allies went public with their pressure campaign, bowers paid a steep personal price. his office was bombarded with thousands of messages and trump supporters hit him at home as well. >> we have various groups come by and they have had video -- panel trucks with videos of me, proclaiming me to be a pedophile and a pervert and a corrupt politician. and blaring loudspeakers in my neighborhood. >> reporter: at the time his daughter, terminally ill with cancer, was at his home. >> we had a daughter who was gravely ill, who was upset by what was happening outside.

and my wife, that was a valiant person, very, very strong, quiet, very strong woman -- so it was disturbing. >> reporter: his daughter died of cancer just days after trump left the white house. although the price he paid was steep, bowers says he does not regret standing up to donald trump. >> it is painful to have friends who have been such a help to me, turn on me with such rancor. i do not want to be a winner by cheating. >> reporter: a similar drama played out in georgia where the republican secretary of state, also a trump supporter refused to go along with trump's demands. >> look, all i want to do is this. i just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state.

>> what i knew is that we didn't have any votes to find. they'd continually look. we investigated. i did share the numbers with you. there were no votes to find. that was an accurate count that had been certified. >> reporter: here, too, the pressure was intense, and it was personal. >> eventually my wife started getting texts and hers typically came in as sexualized attacks which were disgusting. and then some people broke into my daughter-in-law's home. my son has passed, and she's a widow. and has two kids. and so we're very concerned about her safety also. >> reporter: the committee then called a georgia election worker, shaye moss, who along with her mother, ruby freeman, was falsely accused of election tampering by donald trump and rudy giuliani. >> ruby freeman and shaye freeman moss and one other gentleman quite obviously surreptitiously passing around usb ports as if they're viles of

heroin or cocaine. >> what was your mom handing you on that video? >> a ginger mint. >> reporter: the accusations were bogus, but they triggered an avalanche of threats from trump supporters. >> a lot of threats wishing death upon me. telling me that i'll be in jail with my mother. saying things like, be glad it's 2020 and not 1920. >> reporter: moss' mother, ruby, sat behind her at the hearing. donald trump attacked her by name some 18 times in a single phone call with georgia's top election official. >> ruby freeman, she's a vote scammer, a professional vote scammer and hustler. >> reporter: videotaped testimony, freeman describes the toll that took on her life. >> my community in georgia where i was born and lived my whole life, knew me as lady ruby. i wore a shirt that proudly proclaimed that i was and i am lady ruby.

now i won't even introduce myself by my name anymore. i get nervous when i bump into someone i know in the grocery store who says my name. i'm worried about who's listening. >> i no longer give out my business card. i don't transfer calls. i don't want anyone knowing my name. i haven't been anywhere at all. i've gained about 60 pounds. i just -- don't do nothing anymore. >> there is nowhere i feel safe. nowhere. do you know how it feels to have the president of the united states to target you? the president of the united states is supposed to represent every american. not to target one.

but he targeted me, lady ruby. a small business owner. a mother. a proud american citizen who stood up to help fulton county run an election in the middle of the pandemic. >> our thanks to jonathan. when we come back, a final note from uvalde. ♪ good checkup? no, great checkup. aw, thank you, doc. for great checkups, crest has you covered... because crest pro-health protects 100% of your mouth for 24 hours. i mean we're talking dental hall of fame. now, from crest pro-health new densify. like bones, your teeth lose density overtime. but, crest has you covered. crest densify... actively rebuilds tooth density to extend the life of teeth. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. (♪ ♪)

to extend the life of teeth. (♪ ♪) what's the #1 retinol brand used most by dermatologists? it's neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair® smooths the look of fine lines in 1-week, deep wrinkles in 4. so you can kiss wrinkles goodbye! neutrogena® bother the bugs... gotcha. ...not your family. zevo is made with essential oils which attack bugs' biological systems. it gets rid of the bugs plus is safe for use around people and pets. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly.

plus is safe for use around people and pets. i'm gonna earn 3% on dining including takeout with chase freedom unlimited. that's a lot of cash back. are you gonna stop me? uh-oh... i'm almost there... too late! boom! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours.

a jelly bean that's good for you? try nature's bounty jelly bean vitamins.

good-for-you nutrients in a tastier-for-you form. more sweet dreams. more flavorful immune support. get more with nature's bounty jelly beans. ♪ ♪ finally tonight, uvalde strong. the community coming together to

cheer on their little leaguers in the all-star championship. it's been nearly a month since the massacre that claimed six of their teammates. uvalde players honoring their missing friends by winning all of their games. uvalde strong indeed. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.