A police officer stands near a temporary memorial for shooting victims outside Robb Elementary School on May 27, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.
Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images
The US Justice Department said on Sunday it would review law enforcement’s response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 children and two teachers, amid growing anger that police were swiftly arresting the gunman. Why did you fail to cope?
Uvalde law enforcement agencies allowed the shooter to remain in a classroom at Robb Elementary School for about an hour while officers waited in the hallway and children inside called 911 for assistance.
Texas state and county officials say they are conducting their own investigation. Anthony Cooley, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said it would conduct a “serious incident review” of law enforcement’s response to the shooting at the request of the mayor of Uvalde.
“The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter incidents,” Koli said.
“The Department of Justice will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review,” Coley said.