Uvalde Mistakes Identified in Federal Report: Schools Struggle to Make Mandated Changes

A recently released federal report on the Uvalde mass shooting identified the lack of communication and response of the hundreds of officers who responded to the mass shooting at last year’s Uvalde school shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. 

“Had law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices in an active shooter situation and gone right after the shooter to stop him, lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday during a news conference. 

The Justice Department’s report also provided a slew of recommendations, including ensuring every school has implemented an active shooter plan; the replacement or upgrading of any school doors or locks that prevent school security; scheduled meetings between local government and law enforcement officials to practice security exercises; increased communication between schools, law enforcement officials and the community, and mental health screenings for victims. 

And although Texas lawmakers had passed House Bill 3 to address many of these issues, schools districts have expressed frustration that the state has not allocated enough funds to pay for the changes that House Bill 3 mandated, and the burden of cost has instead fallen on them. 

Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/19/texas-school-safety-uvalde-doj-report/