Title: Uvalde City Council to Release Findings of Independent Investigation into Police Response to School Shooting
The long-awaited results of the independent investigation conducted by the Uvalde City Council into the police response to the tragic May 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers, will be presented during a city council meeting on Thursday afternoon. This investigation is one of several ongoing probes into the law enforcement actions regarding the incident, following an agreement among various agencies that the initial response was disastrous.
This city council meeting holds significant importance as families of the victims approach the second year in their quest for accountability and transparency regarding the events that unfolded on that fateful day. Moreover, the meeting comes days after two individuals who were criticized for their failure to challenge the Uvalde school shooter and save children and teachers trapped in the chaos won re-election as law enforcement leaders within the community.
The election results, which have left families of victims feeling stunned and upset, have raised concerns regarding the possibility of accountability and the potential for a cover-up. The city council meeting begins at 2 p.m. local time, providing an opportunity for the public to gain insights into the findings of the investigation.
Since the shooting, there have been numerous reports and misinformation from officials regarding what transpired that day. False accounts include claims that police rushed towards the shooter and saved lives, only to discover later that he was left unchallenged within the school for 77 minutes. There have also been reports suggesting a teacher had propped open a door, when in reality she had not, and claims that a Uvalde police officer had an opportunity to shoot the gunman before he entered the school, which turned out to be unfounded.
In response to the lack of transparency and ongoing investigations, the Uvalde City Council announced in July 2022 that it would launch its own investigation into the actions of every city police officer who responded to the scene. Jesse Prado, a former Austin police detective, was appointed by the council to lead this investigation.
The decision made by Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell to withhold public information during her investigation has only added to the concerns surrounding transparency. In June 2022, Mitchell stated that releasing records or videos at that time would hinder ongoing investigations and potentially impede a thorough and complete investigation.
A coalition of major news organizations, including CNN, filed a lawsuit in an attempt to obtain records related to the incident, which is yet to be decided. Mitchell has also been sued twice by former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin for failing to share evidence regarding Uvalde police officers with the investigator, Jesse Prado.
CNN conducted a thorough analysis of body camera and surveillance footage, along with radio transmissions and phone calls, which revealed the initial response and subsequent loss of impetus that left the gunman unchallenged within the school for a prolonged period. This analysis was published before and in agreement with the Department of Justice fact-finding report released in January, which emphasized numerous leadership failures and missed opportunities to stop the bloodshed earlier.
