Justice Department's Uvalde School Shooting Investigation Report Anticipated This Week
January 17, 2024 - Reading time: 2 minutes
The Justice Department is planning to release the findings of an investigation into law enforcement's response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The report will be released on Thursday and has been highly anticipated by the community. Superintendent Ashley Chohlis notified the community about this at a school board meeting earlier this week.
The Justice Department officials have stated that their review would focus on law enforcement's response to one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S history, which was prompted by contradictory information from authorities at the time. The investigation aims to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response during the tragic event, identify lessons learned, and suggest best practices for first responders preparing for active shooter events.
In 2022, a panel of state lawmakers found that nearly 400 officers responded to the shooting when a gunman stormed the school. However, they waited over an hour before confronting the attacker. The report discovered that "egregiously poor decision-making" led to hundreds of heavily armed officers waiting in the hallway as the gunman fired into two fourth-grade classrooms. At least five officers have lost their jobs due to this incident, including two Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde's school police chief, Pete Arredondo, who was on site during the attack.
The town of over 15,000 remains divided about moving forward and seeking accountability for the responding officers. Some family members of those killed have expressed frustration at the delay in investigations. Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell stated that a criminal investigation into the police response will continue this year before she can present her findings to a grand jury.
DW Staff
David Lintott is the Editor-in-Chief, leading our team of talented freelance journalists. He specializes in covering culture, sport, and society. Originally from the decaying seaside town of Eastbourne, he attributes his insightful world-weariness to his roots in this unique setting.
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