Texas Governor Acknowledges DOJ's Critical Incident Review Following Tragic School Shooting

AUSTIN – In response to the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) release of its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School, Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement today, expressing gratitude for the thorough examination and acknowledging the swift actions taken by Texas in the aftermath of the tragedy.

"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."

The Justice Department released a comprehensive 600-page report on Thursday, detailing the response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which stands as one of the deadliest in U.S. history. The incident, which occurred on May 24, 2022, resulted in the tragic loss of nineteen children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.

During a press conference following the report's release, Attorney General Merrick Garland conveyed his condolences to the victims' families, whom he met with the day before, stating, "Their loved ones deserved better."

Garland criticized the law enforcement response to the scene as a "failure that should not have happened" and highlighted various mishandlings by officials that were previously disclosed. The attorney general specifically pointed out a significant failure in changing tactics upon arrival, shifting from treating the scene as an "active shooter situation" to negotiating with the suspect as a "barricaded subject."

“It meant that officials asked for and waited for additional responders and equipment instead of following generally accepted active shooter practice and moving toward the shooter with the resources they had,” Garland stated.

The report detailed how the responding law enforcement officials demonstrated a lack of urgency and failed to treat the shooting as an "active shooter situation." Garland emphasized the prolonged 77-minute duration from when the 18-year-old shooter entered Robb Elementary School with an AR-15-style rifle until he was neutralized.

“Every second counts and the priority of law enforcement must be to immediately enter the room and stop the shooter with whatever weapons and tools officers have with them,” Garland emphasized.

Parents, arriving at the chaotic scene on the day of the shooting, demanded answers and action from the police on the scene. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta described the chaotic scene, recounting instances where children with bullet wounds were placed on buses without treatment, and a victim died on the sidewalk.

Garland revealed that law enforcement officers themselves were uncertain about leadership decisions and lacked clarity on what actions to take. Some officers were reportedly confused about why there was no attempt to confront the active shooter and rescue the children.

Additionally, misinformation reached some family members, with false reports of their loved ones surviving the incident when they had not. Two Department of Public Safety officers were terminated in the aftermath of the shooting.

In response to the administration's review, President Biden issued a statement on Thursday, highlighting multiple points of failure by law enforcement and urging Congress to pass "commonsense gun safety laws."

“There were multiple points of failure that hold lessons for the future, and my team will work with the Justice Department and Department of Education to implement policy changes necessary to help communities respond more effectively in the future,” the statement read.