Uvalde Mass Shooting Surveillance Video Analyzed
Could the presence of advanced analytics, such as weapons detection and other surveillance solutions, have affected the outcome of the tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas?
In this report, IPVM examines the Uvalde mass shooting surveillance video, including analysis of the footage and whether/how additional analytics or other measures could have had an effect on the incident.
Video Released
A 1 hour 22-minute video was released of the mass shooting, from the initial vehicle crash outside the school, and indoor camera footage of the hallway outside the classroom:
Crash/Outside the School
Before the gunman entered the school, video from the funeral home that is across the street from Robb Elementary captured him driving a pickup truck into a ditch/service road at the edge of the school property. 2 people entered the field of view from the direction of the funeral home to help, but were shot at, and run back to the funeral home.
At the distance of the crash and from where the gunman approaches the school, on what appears to be 1080P or possibly 4MP cameras, the PPF is between 7 and 10.
The vehicle crash was captured at the 16-second mark of the video, and while it is possible that an abnormal behavior analytic could have been used to detect this, in this case, because it happened in the middle of the day, multiple individuals witnessed and were alert first hand.
However, because of the low PPF and obstructed view due to the trees, it is certainly highly challenging compared to a clear field of view and/or closer capture:
Moreover, because the crash was captured on a private business system, it is more complex and unlikely that public law enforcement would have immediate access to this information. Also, this would require someone to be watching and responding to each event in real-time.
Video quality is similar for 2 other cameras from the funeral home:
Entering School - WDR Performance Poor
Entering the school, the gunman is captured by the school system on a panoramic camera, the WDR performance is typical of these models, with washed-out video due to the difference in light:
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This video could be improved with higher-performing WDR cameras, typically non-panoramic cameras (see IPVM WDR Camera Mega Shootout 2019), which do not wash out when a subject is entering a door from a bright day-time exterior:
Better Images Once Inside School
The first clear image of the gunman inside the schools was ~10' from the camera:
Estimating a 6MP fisheye panoramic camera, that calculates to ~50PPF:
Higher Megapixel Camera Impact Limited
While a higher megapixel camera may have slightly increased video details, because of the relatively short hallway from the camera to the door, there are would be diminishing returns.
First Clear Shot of Gun
At 11:33:09, approximately 7 seconds after entering the building, the gun is clearly visible in the hands of the gunman. At this distance, we estimate the gunman and gun were captured at 80 - 100 PPF:
In this scenario, a gun detection video analytic would have likely positively detected the gun with a high level of confidence. Multiple gun detection video analytic companies told IPVM they require ~20 PPF to make a detection.
Further, IPVM's limited testing of gun detection video analytics (IronYun AI Test) showed that this is certainly possible, but still challenging:
Gun Detection Analytic Would Have No Impact
Because the gunman started firing outside of the school and was seen by a teacher with the gun before he entered the school, video analytic gun detection in Uvalde would have only confirmed what multiple witnesses saw.
Additionally, because clear video of the weapon was not captured until the subject was inside the school, triggering a lockdown based on that alert would have been too late.
At most a gun detection alert may have confirmed that the subject was seen last on that specific camera, which may have decreased the time for officers to confirm which classroom the gunman entered.
Camera and VMS Brand Unknown
IPVM was unable to confirm the camera or VMS companies, though Sentry Security Service installed $26,000 in security cameras at Flores and Robb Elementary campuses in 2020:
However, it is not clear if Sentry installed the panoramic camera in the video release. Also, Sentry does not advertise its camera, VMS, or other technology partners on its webpage.
Police Access to Video
Police did not appear to have access to live or recorded video on their phones, though it is possible that the Uvalde School Police Department would have.
While multiple officers are captured using phones on the hallway camera and body wearable cameras, they are making calls or sending messages:
At 11:36 AM one of the first responding officers appears to check the time on his phone, with a Punisher lock screen, but does not unlock the phone:
Because the gunman was only captured by a single camera and entered a classroom within 30 seconds of being in the school, it is likely that having access to video would have had limited operational value, beyond confirmation of what type of gun the gunman was carrying and any possible body armor.
An officer at 12:28 PM gestures with his phone but it is not known if they are looking at images/video:
Quick Initial Armed Police Response
Police entered the hallway at 11:36, ~3 minutes after the gunman entered the school and ~2 minutes and 30 seconds after he entered the classroom:
At 11:36:58 the video captured the gunman firing at officers and their retreat from the classroom door:
Delayed Secondary Response
By 11:52 AM officers did not approach the classroom door when a ballistic shield is first captured on camera. As it has been widely reported, officers still did not approach the classroom:
It is not shown on video if the shield was on premise prior to this point or not.
At 11:59 officers entered the classroom they had been standing outside of for ~25 minutes, but it is not clear if the classroom was empty or they did not allow anyone to leave:
A second and third ballistic shield were present by 12:05 PM:
By 12:15 PM, ~45 minutes after the gunman entered the school, officers are captured putting on gas masks, and staging tear gas/stun grenades:
At 12:21 PM they approach the classroom:
At 12:30 PM an officer uses hand sanitizer:
At 12:49 PM the officers breach the classroom and audio captures multiple gunshots:
Once the shooting stops an officer or public safety official has to prevent officers from charging forward into the hallway by the classroom:
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Unpopular *******: Even if that fisheye/panoramic camera had:
*. "******* *********" ********* **** **** activated.
*. *** ******** ****** *** *** right *********** ** *** ***** ****
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********* *** ************ **** *** ** issue ****.
"*********** ***********" **** ***** *** ** active ******* ** ******** ********* ** fast ** *** **** ** ********* notification ***** **** **** *****.
*********** ********* *** *********** / ******* to ***** ***** ** ***** **** the ****** ****.
******* ** *** ****** ********* ********** to ***** ********** ***** **** ****** the ********** **** ****** *********, ** letting **** *** ** *********. *****.
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** ***** *** **** ** ****** control ****** ** ***** ** ******* randos **** ******* ******** **** *** school?
*** ** ******* *****. * ***'* think *** * "******"; *** ****** the ****** ** *** ****** **** could **** **** * **********.
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******* **** ********** *** *** **** stopped *** *****, *** **** ***** at ***** ******** * *** **** delay *** *** ********* ** ***** AFTER *** ********** **** **** *****. Indeed, ** ******** *** "********* ** internal ***** ****** (****** ************) ****** the ******* ******* *** ******** ********* to *** ******'* *********.
********* ** ****** **/**, *** ** a ********* ** ******** ********* ****** review ***** ********* ******* **** *** perspectective ** *** *** ** *** better ****** *** *********. **** *** we **** **** **** ******** **********? This ****** ** * ******* **** to *** ** ** ** ****** these ********* ** ****** *** *** how *** ******* *** *******... ** at ***** ********... ****** *********.
*** ******* "****-**" ******** ** ** there **** ******* ** *** *********, that ***** **** *** ******* ** officers ********** *** ****** ******. **** possibly **** **** ******** *** ******* earlier *** **** *****.
*** ******* "****-**" ********
***** *** *** ****** ** ****-** scenarios - **** **** ******* **** others ** ********* ******.
**** ******** **** **** ******** *** shooter ******* *** **** *****.
* ***** *** ****** ******* ** related ** *** **** **** **** should **** ********* ** ****** *** room ******* - **** ******* ****** a ****** ** **** *********.
**********, ***** ** **** ******** ********, I **** ** ********** **** *** LE ****** ** **** ***** ***** have **** ******** ***********, **** **** a ****** ** *** **** ******. not ** ******* *** ****** ***** be ****** ******** **** *** ******.
* ******* **** ***** ** ******** etc *** ** *****.
** *** ********* ** ***** ******* in *******? *** **** **** ****** privacy ***?
** **** ***** ** ******, *** recording ** ***** ** ******** ********** with * *** **********, ** ** would ** ****** ** ********** *** regulations ** *** *** *** ** what ************* ** ** *********.
*** ** ** ****** ***** ** audio *********. **** ****** ***** ** no *********** ** ******* ** ****** locations ** **'* ****, ****** **** a *** ***** ****, *** **** places **** * * ***** ****.
*'* ******* ** **** ****** ***** are ******** *** ***** ********** ***** and ***** ********* ** ******* ***** probably ********* *** ************ *** ************.
*** ******* ******* ********* **** ******** in ******* ********* ******* ***** *** value ** "***-******* ******** ******* *** able ** *******" ** ***** **********.
**** ******* ** ******** ** ****... but ** **** **** ** ********* defense *** *** ***** ***** ** difficult ** ***** *** ******* **** explored ** ******* ** *** **********.
******* ******** *** **** ** ** much ******* * ********** ********* **** when **** ******** *********.
** *** ******* ** "********** *** suicidal."
**** *** ****** ******* *** ******** did ***** ********* **** **** ** "object *********?"
*- *** *** ******* ******* **** dewarp, ** *** *** ** *** lack ******* ***, *** *** ****** out ** ********* *** ** ********* by *** ******. **** ***, *** all. **** ****** *** *** *********** cameras *** ***** *** **** *** same ***.
*- ********* *** ** ********* *** there *** ***** ***** ****** *** just ******** ** ********* *** **** bright ****. **** ****** **** ** say ***** *********, *** **** ** funny ** ******.
*- ********* ******** ** ***** **** but ********* ******** ***** ** *******. You **** *** ************* **** ***** selling ** ************* **** ********. **** hyped ** *******
*- ******** **** *****, **** ****** control , ***. ******** ****** *** visitors * ***** ** ***** ***** possible , ** *** *** ********, having **** ****** ******* ******, ****, real ******** ** ******* *** **** type ** ********* **** **** *** to * ********* ******** ***** *** schools. ******* **** ****** ******* ***** little, ** ******. *** ***’* ***** what *** ***’* **** ** *** get ****** **.
*- **** *** *** ***** , saying ********* ** **** ** *** feds ** ********* *** ***** *******.
*** *** ***, ***, ******* ********’* , ***… *** **** ***** **** bought ****** **** *** *** ****. Ask *** *** ***** *** ***** $10MM **** ***** *** ******* ********* that *** *** **** *** *** supplied ** * ***** ******* ****** contractor. *** ******* ** **. ******* Grounds , * **** ******* **** were ***** ** ***** *** **************. I *** *** ** *** ******* but *** ***** *******. **** * held * *********.
********* *******, ********, *** ********.
**** ****** ** *** ********* **-** article *** *** **** *****.
********* *********! **** ****** ********** *** importance ** ******* ********* ** *******. It ***** **** ***** **** *****.