Through the Uvalde taking pictures, an off-duty federal agent’s spouse texted him for help. “I requested my barber if he had a gun,” he said.

Jacob Albarado was in his barber's chair when both men got text messages concerning the shooting unfolding at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, final week. "There's an lively shooter. Help. Love you," Albarado's wife Trisha stated in three messages at 11:41 a.m.

She's a fourth grade teacher on the faculty, and their daughter is a student there.

"I asked my barber if he had a gun," Albarado, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, advised CBS Information on Wednesday. He had attended an awards ceremony at the college earlier that morning and was off duty, together with his weapon at dwelling.

The barber did have a gun. Albarado took it, a shotgun, and so they rushed to the chaotic scene. Police officers were already there, and Albarado started helping.

"Children are popping out the home windows," he mentioned.

With individuals fleeing to a funeral residence across the street, Albarado said he needed to get inside the school as fast as he might.

"I was acting as a husband and a father," he stated.

His wife let him know she made it to the funeral house, but she instructed him their daughter was locked in a college restroom.

"I didn't know what restroom," Albarado stated.

He finally realized his daughter was in a restroom located inside her classroom. Albarado met up with two officers close to the classroom.

"We have to get the youngsters out of right here," Albarado stated he informed the officers. "… The shooter's over there. We need to get the youngsters out. This is our time."

The officers started opening classroom doorways, and Albarado stated he guided folks to security.

"First classroom, second classroom, third classroom, saw my daughter," Albarado mentioned. "Relief. Huge relief."

He hugged and kissed her, and shortly she was heading to the varsity parking zone.

Whereas Border Patrol brokers had been on the workforce that breached the classroom where the gunman was holed up, Albarado wasn't in that group.

"I did not have my gear, and so it would not have been a smart move for me to get into the building," he said. "I did not have my vest. A shotgun's not a adequate protection."

Throughout a press conference last week, the head of the Texas Department of Public Security stated the varsity district's police chief didn't initially send officers into the classroom where the gunman was positioned because he thought it was now not an active-shooter scenario. The U.S. Justice Division is conducting a assessment of the police response.

For his part, Albarado stated he wasn't in a position to evaluate the response.

"I know my fellow officers," he said, "and … to me, coronary heart of hearts, I imagine they were doing every little thing of their energy they may do."

Alex Sundby is a senior editor for CBSNews.com