- Coach Yvette Silva was outdoors before the May 24 shooting and spotted the shooter hop over a fence.
- She alerted the school's office and gathered a group of third graders to tell them to lock down.
- A report on the shooting highlighted systemic failures that led to the shooting's tragic outcome.
Coach Yvette Silva found herself outside Robb Elementary school on May 24 with a group of third graders when she saw someone hop over the school fence with a backpack and a gun.
He began firing in the air and Silva sprung into action, alerting the school's office there was a shooter on the premises.
"Coach Silva to office, somebody just jumped over the fence and he's shooting," Silva said into her radio. She gathered the third graders and told them to run inside.
According to a report released on Sunday by the Texas House Committee investigating the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers, Silva's actions helped alert multiple Uvalde authorities — from the principal to the police chief — that a shooter was on campus and they should lock down immediately.
"Robb Elementary School Coach Yvette Silva acted heroically and almost certainly saved lives by alerting the school to the attacker's advance," the report says. "Most fourth grade classes successfully locked down as a result of her quick response."
Silva's message reached Principal Mandy Gutierrez moments after the shooter entered the campus, the report says. Gutierrez tried to alert the entire school about the shooting threat using the school's alert app, but couldn't because of a bad wifi signal.
Gutierrez alerted Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo about the shooter and he instructed Gutierrez to shut the school down.
Head custodian Jaime Perez already heard Silva's announcement through the radio and "immediately started to implement a lockdown," according to the report.
Another coach, Abraham Gonzales, also alerted children to run away after hearing gunshots. Teachers Sasha Martinez and Lynn Deming were preparing to take their classes to recess when they heard the yells of Gonzales and students instructed by Gonzales to flee, the report says.
Gutierrez did not, however, use the intercom system to alert the school of the approaching shooter, the report notes.
The report highlighted how teachers began to implement lockdown procedures after hearing the news of the approaching attacker. It also found that 376 law enforcement officials arrived at the school during the tragic shooting, but the disorganized response on the part of the police may have cost lives.
"They failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety," the report says.