Police officers who responded to a fatal school shooting in Uvalde, Texas “showed no promptness” in establishing a command post and failed to treat the killing as an active shooter situation, according to a Justice Department report released Thursday that identified “elevated failures” in handling law enforcement against one of the deadliest school massacres in American history.
The Justice Department report, the most comprehensive federal accounting of the haphazard police response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, identifies a range of problems from failed communications and leadership to inadequate technology and training that federal officials say contributed. to the crisis lasting much longer than it should have.
Even for a mass shooting that has been the subject of intense scrutiny and scrutiny, the Justice Department’s nearly 600-page report adds to the public’s understanding of how police in Uvalde failed to stop the attack that killed 19 children and two staff members. member.
The justice department released a scathing report on the police response to the Uvalde school shooting. AP
Uvalde, a community of more than 15,000, continues to grapple with the trauma left by the killings of 19 elementary school students and two teachers and remains divided over questions of accountability for officers’ actions and inactions.
But it is not clear what new light the US Department of Justice will review.
The shooting was taken up in legislative hearings, news reports, and reports condemned by Texas lawmakers who blamed law enforcement at every level for failing to “prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety.”
Police officers who responded to a fatal school shooting in Uvalde, Texas “lacked promptness” in setting up a command post and failed to treat the killing as an active shooter situation, according to a Justice Department report. REUTERS A mourner stops to pay his respects at a memorial at Robb Elementary School. AP
In the 20 months since the Justice Department announced its review, footage showing police waiting in the hallway outside the fourth-grade classroom where the gunman opened fire has become the target of national ridicule.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Uvalde on Wednesday before the report was released, visiting murals of the victims that have been painted around downtown.
Later that night, Justice Department officials personally briefed family members at a community center in Uvalde before the findings were made public.
Justice Department officials personally briefed family members at a community center in Uvalde before the findings were made public. AP
Berlinda Arreola, whose grandson was killed in the shooting, said after Wednesday night’s meeting that accountability remains in the hands of local prosecutors who are separately conducting a criminal investigation into the police response.
“I have a lot of emotions right now. I don’t have many words to say,” said Arreola.
A review by the Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services was launched just days after the shooting, and local prosecutors are still evaluating a separate criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers.
Some of the officers involved have lost their jobs.
The Justice Department has said its investigation will “provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day” and identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for active shooter events.
Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell said in a statement Wednesday that she had not been provided a copy of the Justice Department’s report but had been informed it did not address any possible criminal charges.
How police respond to mass shootings across the country has come under scrutiny since the tragedy in Uvalde, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Uvalde on Wednesday before the report was released, visiting a mural of the victims. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell said Wednesday that she had not been provided a copy of the Justice Department report. AP
In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott initially praised the bravery of the officers’ response and later blamed local authorities in Uvalde.
But an 80-page report from a panel of state lawmakers and an investigation by reporters revealed how for more than 70 minutes, a group of officers walked in and out of the school with guns drawn but did not enter the classroom where the shooting happened. that happened.
The 376 officers on the scene included state police, Uvalde police, school officials, and US Border Patrol agents.
In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott initially praised the bravery of the officers’ response and later blamed local authorities in Uvalde. ADAM DAVIS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The 80-page report shared how for more than 70 minutes, a group of officers walked in and out of the school with guns drawn but did not enter the classroom. Reuters
The delayed response trumps active shooter training that emphasizes confronting the gunman, a standard established more than two decades ago after the mass shooting at Columbine High School that showed that waiting costs lives.
As what happened during the shooting has become clear, the families of some of the victims have denounced the police as cowards and demanded their resignation.
At least five officers have lost their jobs, including two Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo, who was the commander on the scene at the time of the attack.
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