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.

A Blue Alert has been issued for a wanted man after he was accused of being involved in an ambush at a North Texas ICE facility.

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