Texas law enforcement ignores Spanish-language media at press conference after shooting, despite Uvalde's large Latino population

• Law enforcement declined to answer questions from Spanish-language media in Uvalde.
• At a press conference, reporters pleaded for responses "en Español."

Texas law enforcement wrapped up a press conference on the Robb Elementary School massacre Thursday without taking a single question from Spanish-language media.

Speakers of Spanish make up around 30% of Texas's population, according to US Census Data. In Uvalde County, where the mass shooting took place, half of families speak a language other than English at home — largely Spanish, with Latinos making up just under 90% of the student body at the elementary school.

At Thursday's press conference, reporters with Spanish-language media pleaded for answers "en Español," the language spoken by around 8 million Texans and more than 41 million Americans.

But despite being asked to "please" address the media in Spanish, Victor Escalon, a regional director with the Texas Department of Public Safety, walked away from the podium without responding.

Earlier in the press conference, Escalon walked back the claim that a school security officer that a school district police officer had opened fire on the gunman before he entered the building.

"That's not accurate," Escalon said, noting the gunman "walked in unobstructed initially."

Escalon said the shooter had entered the school via an unlocked back door. It took an hour before armed officers and a tactical team arrived at the scene and engaged in the shooter.

Nineteen children were killed along with two of their teachers.