DOJ Uvalde report: Officials, organizations release statements
UVALDE, Texas - The Justice Department has released a report on its investigative review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022.
The report was released today, nearly 20 months after the shooting at Robb Elementary School. It is only the third official report released on the shooting and identifies "cascading failures" in law enforcement's handling of the mass shooting.
19 students and two teachers died in the shooting, and at least 17 others were physically injured, says the DOJ.
Public officials and organizations have been releasing statements in response to the report:
City of Uvalde
"Just days after the May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, former Mayor Don McLaughlin requested the Justice Department conduct a review to provide an independent and complete account of all law enforcement actions, lessons learned, and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events.
"The City has already implemented changes in leadership, new personnel, new training, and new equipment to enhance law enforcement's ability to protect the safety of our community, and has enlisted an independent investigator to conduct a thorough, objective, and credible review of the City's law enforcement response. We anticipate that independent investigation will be finished this month.
"At every level throughout the review process, the City of Uvalde cooperated and provided extensive information to the Justice Department to ensure a fulsome account of law enforcement’s response from the City’s perspective. At this time, we are reviewing the full Justice Department report and will provide additional comments on its findings, as appropriate, following our careful and thorough review process."
Texas State Sen./U.S. Sen. candidate Roland Gutierrez
"Texas Republican leadership engaged in a massive coverup to hide the facts from Texans, trying to place the blame on everyone else, even a teacher, rather than accepting an ounce of responsibility for their own cowardice. 19 children and two teachers died when 91 DPS troopers stood by for 77 minutes. Everyone in this community has been through a hellish nightmare. Families have re-lived this nightmare every day without their loved ones. They deserve justice. That means accountability and reform. Director Steve McCraw must resign. The AR-15 should be banned for sale to the general public. It’s time for politicians to honor the bravery shown by the children and educators of Robb Elementary."
Uvalde Foundation for Kids
"We are not overly impressed or moved with the details outlined within the report. The information provided by the DOJ, following over a year long investigation, only confirms what so many devastated families & the community already knew - Law enforcement failed on all levels. And, yet no real accountability has come for this failed response to present, based on what was known and confirmed time and time again.. A 700 plus page report only confirmed the facts again.
What is done, however, with the little bit of valued information provided within these reports, particularly ensuring law enforcement clearly is defined across the nation in proper training protocols clearly implementing the different response requirements between an "Active Shooter," & a, "Barricaded Suspect," is what is important.
Our foundation could care less about a lengthy press release & emotional pleas by the Attorney General. Further, dissecting what we already know from that day is a waste of time. Perhaps to some families the report brings comfort & answers - To us it does not. We will not waste our time further on it.
The only good outcome of this report will be criminal charges & prosecution for those who willingly stood back for over an hour while children were murdered."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
"Following the horrific tragedy at Robb Elementary School, Texas took swift action to bolster security in our schools and in our communities, and I thank the U.S. Department of Justice for their critical incident review of the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School. The State of Texas has already adopted and implemented some of the recommendations proposed by the DOJ in this review. We will continue to evaluate all possible means of making our schools safer, and we will carefully review all other recommendations the Department has offered to prevent future tragedies across our state."
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar
"Nothing will bring back the Uvalde children, teachers, and family members whose lives were stolen on May 24, 2022. Families deserve the truth, accountability, and justice, and my heart is with them today. We must take action to prevent future mass shootings — ban assault weapons, expand background checks, and learn from these failures. We must hold Greg Abbott and other public officials to account. Our children deserve to feel safe and protected, always."
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa
"For 77 minutes, children and faculty repeatedly pleaded for help from inside their classrooms while law enforcement agencies offered no assistance. Greg Abbott’s DPS failed to follow active shooter protocol, failed to protect the lives of 21 innocent souls, and failed to provide the victims’ loved ones and the Uvalde community with transparent accounts of what happened at Robb Elementary that day. Instead, Greg Abbott’s DPS attempted to cover up their own mishandlings and their active role in this massacre.
"If Greg Abbott’s DPS is brave enough to suit up along the southern border to hunt migrant women and children – then Greg Abbott’s DPS should be brave enough to intervene in an active shooter situation inside of a classroom. The reality is that they feared the AR-15 that the 18-year-old gunman was able to obtain just weeks before the massacre because of Texas Republicans’ reckless gun laws – so they stood idly by with tails between their legs. This cowardly approach to an active shooter response cost the lives of 21 innocent Texans, and continues to put our classrooms and other public spaces in danger. And we can only pray that when – not if – the next mass shooting occurs, Greg Abbott’s DPS is brave enough to stop it.
"We’re thankful that the Justice Department stepped in to provide long-awaited answers to the loved ones who have been begging for a shred of transparency from DPS for the last 600 days. No parent, family member, educator, or student should have to endure the trauma inflicted upon this community ever again in the state of Texas – that’s why in November, we are going to elect leaders that place the safety of Texans above all else."