Police face scrutiny over Texas school shooting

Police face questions over Texas school shooting timeline; Russia offers to help with food crisis if the West lifts sanctions.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

What we know about the Texas school shooting

Brandon Bell/Getty Images 

• Police are facing questions Thursday about their response to an 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school. [Associated Press / Jake Bleiberg, Jim Vertuno, and Elliot Spagat]
• The man shot and critically wounded his grandmother on Tuesday morning before driving her truck to Robb Elementary, crashing it nearby. He fired at bystanders before entering the building through a side door, which may have been left unlocked. [Washington Post / Hannah Knowles, Jon Swaine, and Joyce Sohyun Lee]
• The gunman shot two police officers who tried to intervene before he gained access to a classroom, where he killed all 21 victims. Police are facing scrutiny over how long it took them to respond. [NBC News / Marlene Lenthang, Tom Winter, and Ken Dilanian]
• Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez said the gunman was inside the classroom for about an hour before Border Patrol agents killed him. However, investigators are still working on an official timeline. [CNN / Eric Levenson, Holly Yan, and Joe Sutton]
• Hundreds of community members came together Wednesday evening to mourn the victims. Another vigil will be held at Robb Elementary later this week. [Texas Public Radio / Bri Kirkham and Paul Flahive]

Russia offers to help with global food crisis if the West lifts sanctions

• On Thursday, Russia said it would help ship grain and fertilizer in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions. [AP / Ricardo Mazalan and Elena Becatoros]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin made the offer during a call with Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who sought solutions to a growing international food crisis. [Agence France-Presse]
• Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat; however, Russia’s blockade of its ports prevents shipment and drives up global prices. [Reuters]
• Meanwhile, Russia’s aviation sector, which is dependent on Western-made goods, feels the effects of the sanctions. It might have to ground and strip some planes for parts. [Washington Post / Anthony Faiola and Mary Ilyushina]

An Oklahoma law banning abortion at the moment of fertilization is now in effect. [New York Times / Luke Vander Ploeg and Kate Zernike]

• Actor Ray Liotta, 67, died in his sleep Thursday while on location for a film in the Dominican Republic. [Deadline / Mike Fleming Jr and Erik Pedersen]
• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Republicans to work with Democrats on a solution for gun violence. [CNN / Lauren Fox, Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett, and Clare Foran]
• Thursday, an electrical short circuit caused a fire at a Senegal hospital, killing 11 newborns. [CBS News]

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“There were more of them. There was just one of him.”

[Juan Carranza, Uvalde resident, on the police response / AP]

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