Justice Department Releases Report on its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas
The Justice Department announced today the release of a report on its critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary School. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the review shortly after the tragedy on May 24, 2022, in which 19 children and two teachers died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The report provides a thorough description of the critical incident review that has taken place over the past 20 months.
The report is intended to provide the most comprehensive assessment available of the law enforcement response to the horrific incident on May 24, 2022, as well as the emergency medical response, communications, and trauma services in the wake of the tragedy. It begins with a minute-by-minute timeline reconstructing key events before, during, and immediately following the shooting. The report addresses many previously unanswered questions, builds on the existing knowledge base for responding to incidents of mass violence, and identifies generally accepted practices for effective law enforcement responses. In doing so, this report endeavors to honor the victims and survivors of this tragedy, as well as offer recommendations to improve future responses in other communities.
“The victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School deserved better,” said Attorney General Garland. “The law enforcement response at Robb Elementary on May 24th, 2022 — and the response by officials in the hours and days after — was a failure. As a consequence of failed leadership, training, and policies, 33 students and three of their teachers — many of whom had been shot — were trapped in a room with an active shooter for over an hour as law enforcement officials remained outside. We hope to honor the victims and survivors by working together to try to prevent anything like this from happening again, here or anywhere.”
“Uvalde is a community that is healing, and getting clear on the facts is part of healing,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “As I made clear last April when I came to Uvalde to meet with families and reiterated to them last night, we promised that our report would honor the victims and survivors; provide a detailed, independent, and authoritative accounting of the events; and would not only look backward but would also identify lessons learned and recommendations for other communities to prevent something like this from happening again.”
“The observations and recommendations in this report are based on national standards, generally accepted standards and practices, current research, and the expectations of communities,” said Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). “Reports like this are critical to law enforcement and, by extension, to the community. As agencies constantly strive to do better and be more fully prepared, detailed observations and recommendations like those within this report are invaluable to agencies planning for the future.”
The report examines the multiple failures in the response to the tragedy, including the breakdowns in leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy, and training that contributed to those failures. It describes the responding officers’ most significant failure as not treating the incident throughout as an active shooter situation and using the available and sufficient resources and equipment to push forward immediately and continuously to eliminate the threat. Although several of the first officers on the scene initially acted consistent with generally accepted practices to try to engage the subject, once they retreated after being met with gunfire, the law enforcement responders began treating the incident as a barricaded subject scenario rather than as an active shooter situation. In all, there was a 77-minute gap between when officers first arrived on the scene and when they finally confronted and killed the subject.
The report also examines the communications challenges during and after the shooting, including the inaccurate narrative that was initially delivered. It also documents the trauma and support services that were provided, as well as those that were not provided, to victims, survivors, family members, and responders.
The critical incident review was led by the COPS Office, with the support of leading subject matter experts with a wide variety of relevant experience. The team established the following areas of focus: (1) incident timeline reconstruction; (2) tactics and equipment; (3) leadership, incident command, and coordination; (4) post-incident response and investigation; (5) public communications during and following the crisis; (6) trauma and support services; (7) school safety and security; and (8) pre-incident planning and preparation.
The team collected and reviewed more than 14,000 pieces of data and documentation, including policies, training logs, body camera and CCTV video footage, audio recordings, photographs, personnel records, manuals and standard operating procedures, interview transcripts, investigative files and data, and other documents. The team also spent 54 days onsite in Uvalde and conducted over 260 interviews of individuals who either played a role or had important information related to areas of the review. Those interviews included personnel from the law enforcement agencies involved in the response to the mass shooting; other first responders and medical personnel; victims’ family members; victim services providers; communications professionals and public information officers; school personnel; elected and appointed government officials; survivors and other witnesses; and hospital staff.
The report, in both English and Spanish, as well as profiles of the victims and additional resources, is available on the COPS Office website at cops.usdoj.gov/uvalde.
The team took great care to be intentional about the words used in the report to convey the facts, observations, and recommendations. Nevertheless, the descriptions may be activating for some readers due to the explanations of this mass casualty incident, including the age of the victims. For resources, including free and confidential emotional support, please visit www.988lifeline.org or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Updated January 18, 2024
Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Releases Report on its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas | United States Department of Justice https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-releases-report-its-critical-incident-review-response-mass-shooting-robb
Law enforcement response to Uvalde school shooting was a 'failure,' DOJ says An investigation into the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas indicated some children who were killed may have survived had officers followed active shooter protocols. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/uvalde-report-doj-texas-mass-shooting-rcna134181
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REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE LIVES LOST: UVALDE SHOOTING
REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE LIVES LOST: UVALDE SHOOTING
As we approach the anniversary of the Uvalde school massacre, it's important to reflect on what has changed since that tragic day. Unfortunately, the answer is not much. In fact, it seems that Governor Abbott and his right-wing Republican colleagues are more interested in expanding gun rights than in preventing another senseless tragedy.
Let's take a deep dive into this issue and explore the absurdity of their actions. It's time to get angry, folks.
First, let's remember the names of the innocent children who lost their lives in Uvalde. There was little 6-year-old Emily, who loved unicorns and playing dress-up. Then there was 9-year-old Michael, who dreamed of being an astronaut and exploring the universe. And let's not forget 12-year-old Sarah, who was a talented artist and loved nothing more than creating beautiful works of art.
These children had their lives cut short by a gunman who had easy access to a deadly weapon. Yet, instead of addressing the root cause of this tragedy, Governor Abbott and his cronies are pushing for even more lax gun laws.
It's as if they think the solution to gun violence is more guns. It's like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. It just doesn't make any sense.
But let's not forget the real reason behind this push for expanded gun rights. It's all about money. The NRA and other gun lobbyists are pouring millions of dollars into the pockets of politicians like Abbott, and they're expecting a return on their investment.
Meanwhile, our schools are turning into war zones. Children are being taught to hide under their desks and run for their lives in case of an active shooter. This is not normal. This is not acceptable.
We need real solutions to this problem, not more guns. We need comprehensive background checks, we need to close gun show loopholes, and we need to ban assault weapons. These are common-sense measures that the majority of Americans support.
But instead, we have politicians like Abbott who are more interested in lining their pockets than in protecting our children. It's disgusting, it's shameful, and it's time for us to stand up and demand change.
So, on this anniversary of the Uvalde school massacre, let's honor the memory of Emily, Michael, Sarah, and all the other innocent victims of gun violence. Let's vow to fight for real change, and let's never forget that our children's lives are worth more than any amount of money.
The anniversary of the Uvalde school massacre
On May 24, 2022, a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers. The shooting was the deadliest school shooting in the United States since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
The anniversary of the shooting will be marked on May 24, 2023. The Uvalde community is planning a series of events to remember the victims and to call for action on gun violence.
What has changed?
In the wake of the shooting, there has been some progress on gun control. President Biden signed an executive order on gun violence in June 2022, which includes measures such as expanding background checks and cracking down on straw purchases.
However, there has also been a backlash against gun control. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that allows people to carry handguns without a license or training. This bill is one of several that have been passed in recent years that make it easier for people to get guns.
Gov. Abbott and right-wing Republicans expanding gun rights
Gov. Abbott and right-wing Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to gun control. They argue that gun control laws will not stop criminals from getting guns, and that they only serve to punish law-abiding citizens.
In addition to signing the bill that allows people to carry handguns without a license or training, Gov. Abbott has also appointed several judges to the Texas Supreme Court who are considered to be friendly to gun rights.
The names of the 19 children that died in the Uvalde school shooting are:
Amerie Jo Garza
Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez
Ellie Garcia
Eliahana Cruz Torres
Elijah Cruz Torres
Eva Mireles
Xavier Lopez
Jailah Nicole Silguero
Jayce Carmelo Luevanos
Jailen Nevaeh Martinez
Makenna Lee Elrod
Miranda Mathis
Nevaeh Bravo
Rojelio Torres
Tess Marie Mata
Uziyah Garcia
Xavier Javier Lopez
Jacklyn Cazares
Layla Salazar
Maite Rodriguez
The names of the two teachers that died are:
Irma Garcia
Eva Mireles
The Uvalde school shooting was a horrific tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 innocent people. It is a reminder of the need for action on gun violence.
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