DOJ Finds 'Major Failures' in Law Enforcement Uvalde Response

Texas Representative Joaquin Castro (D) shared his sympathy for the families affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, TX. The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released its Critical Incident Review which showed “major failures” and “cascading failures of leadership.”

In 2019, a shooter entered Robb Elementary School and fired upon innocent staff members and students. In the tragic shooting, the gunman killed 19 children and 2 adults.

In a series of tweets, Rep. Castro shared a statement regarding the tragic incident.

“My heart is with families in Uvalde as they relive the worst days of their lives with the release of the DOJ Critical Incident Review on the Robb Elementary School shooting. 1/.”

“As a father of three kids – two in elementary school – I’m furious and saddened by how Uvalde families have been victimized, first by the shooting and then by @GovAbbott, DPS Director McCraw, and other TX officials who hid the truth about Uvalde and lied about their failures. 2/.”

According to the DOJ review, law enforcement could have entered the school sooner, which could have preserved several lives. The responding officers were said to have failed to recognize and treat the situation as an active shooter scenario. They instead treated the shooting as a barricaded subject scenario.

“In the aftermath of the massacre, Uvalde families have continuously pressed lawmakers to pass common-sense gun laws that could prevent mass shootings. 3/.”

The Texas representative lauded previously passed legislation but stated that more work certainly needed to be done.

“The passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was a good step, but we need universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons to save lives. Uvalde was every parent’s nightmare. It’s hard to believe that national and state policy changed so little in response. 4/,” said Rep. Castro regarding the bipartisan legislation.

“I hope today's review will provide transparency and accountability in Uvalde and a roadmap to protect America’s children. Uvalde families deserve nothing less than the truth. 5/,” continued Castro.