Phones buzzed across Texas just before 8 p.m. Wednesday with a high-priority emergency alert. But it wasn't about flooding, a storm, or a missing child. It was about a five-day-old shooting at an ICE detention center hundreds of miles away.

Benjamin Hanil Song is accused of shooting an Alvarado police officer during an attack on the Prairieland Detention Center.

While there was resounding pushback over the state's historical use of the alert system, some users provided alternatives for those who wanted a way to stay informed when it comes to severe weather.

A Texas firefighter pleaded for an alert amid rising flood waters. It took an hour to go out - Leaked audio provides new alert timeline as officials face scrutiny over when residents first learned of