Uvalde officials sue district attorney for records on school shooting
Cami Mondeaux
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City officials in Uvalde, Texas, are suing a local prosecutor’s office for access to records and other investigative findings related to the mass shooting at an elementary school in May that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Uvalde officials filed a lawsuit against District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee, claiming the lack of access to investigative materials is hindering the ability of investigators to examine the response of local police officers who responded to the shooting and whether they should be disciplined for policy violations. The lawsuit is the latest example of frustration over the slow police response and communication delays during the school shooting.
UVALDE WON’T RELEASE RECORDS OR BODYCAM FOOTAGE UNTIL INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETE
“The Uvalde community has waited entirely too long for answers and transparency with regard to the Robb Elementary shooting incident,” Uvalde city officials said in a statement.
Busbee’s office is conducting its own investigation into the massacre, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The city hired an independent investigation agency to complete its own review of the incident, relying mostly on information from city witnesses that is “subject to a non-disclosure agreement and criminal investigation privilege,” according to the lawsuit. The independent investigator heading the inquiry would be bound by these NDAs, meaning city officials would not be able to access them, they argued.
Officials opened a number of investigations into the shooting after details emerged of communication breakdowns and inadequate police practices that may have caused unnecessary deaths and delayed medical treatment during the mass shooting, according to experts.
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Nearly 400 law enforcement officials responded to the school shooting, but each officer waited more than 70 minutes before entering the fourth-grade classroom where the gunman had barricaded himself, according to a legislative investigative report.
At least two officers have been fired due to their actions on the scene, while a handful of others either resigned or have been placed on leave. Col. Steve McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, acknowledged mistakes were made in the aftermath of the shooting, including shifting reports from law enforcement and a lack of transparency.