DOJ to investigate police response to Uvalde shooting

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sunday that it is conducting an investigation into the law enforcement response to the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

“At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24,” spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement.

“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 events. The review will be conducted with the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing,” Coley continued.

“As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent,” he added. “The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review.”

Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday that the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District made the call to not let officers into the classroom because he believed the suspect, Salvador Ramos, had barricaded himself and was no longer a threat to children. While police officers followed Ramos into the building within two minutes of the attack, another 47 minutes passed before the Border Patrol tactical team breached the door, McCraw said. 

“Of course it was not the right decision,” McCraw said. “It was the wrong decision.”

McCraw said teachers and children repeatedly called 911 asking for help as Ramos carried out the attack. He did not call out the chief of police, Peter Arredondo, by name.