UVALDE, Texas — The president and Texas lawmakers are reacting to the release of a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report into the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in May 2022.
The DOJ's critical incident report was released Thursday. It states that the law enforcement response was a "failure" and concludes that the shooting that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers could have been stopped sooner with better training and decision-making skills from officers.
In the wake of the report's release, lawmakers have begun sharing their responses.
President Joe Biden released a lengthy statement regarding the report, saying in part:
"Today’s report makes clear several things: that there was a failure to establish a clear command and control structure, that law enforcement should have quickly deemed this incident an active shooter situation and responded accordingly, and that clearer and more detailed plans in the school district were required to prepare for the possibility that this could occur. 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."
On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott issued the following statement:
"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."
Meanwhile, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), who has been very vocal in the months since the Uvalde tragedy and who is currently campaigning against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, held a press conference Thursday morning in response to the DOJ's report.
"For the families ... there is no consolation in this, and there is no justice," Gutierrez said. "This state is broken on so many things. [This report] sheds some light for me on all of it."
Congressman Colin Allred (D-Dallas), who is also campaigning against Cruz, said, "As a dad, I cannot imagine the deep grief, heartbreak, and frustration these families are feeling. On that dark day, law enforcement failed to protect the vulnerable children at Robb Elementary. I join my fellow Texans today in mourning and demanding justice and accountability."
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) released a statement that read in part, "I hope the Department of Justice’s Critical Incident Review will provide transparency and accountability in Uvalde and a roadmap to protect America’s children. Uvalde families deserve nothing less than the truth.”
Congressman Greg Casar (D-Austin) said in part, "Nothing will bring back the Uvalde children, teachers, and family members whose lives were stolen on May 24, 2022 ... We must take action to prevent future mass shootings – ban assault weapons, expand background checks, and learn from these failures. We must hold Greg Abbott and other public officials to account. Our children deserve to feel safe and protected, always."
Texas State Representative and former Speaker Pro Tempore Joe Moody (northern El Paso county) posted to Twitter stating, "There are no easy days for those that lost their loved ones in #Uvalde. The Uvalde families will never forget what happened and never rest until they have the answers and the justice they deserve. We can't, either. #txlege."
This article will be updated as more lawmakers respond to the DOJ report's release.