The families of 19 of the victims Uvalde Elementary School shooting incident Texas announced lawsuits Wednesday against about 100 state troopers involved in the botched law enforcement response.
The families said in a statement that they had agreed to a $2 million settlement with the city and that city leaders had promised higher standards and better training for local police.
The announcement came two days before the second anniversary of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. On May 24, 2022, a teenage gunman burst into a classroom at Robb Elementary School and opened fire, killing 19 fourth-graders and two teachers.
The lawsuit is the latest of several seeking to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions. More than 370 federal, state and local law enforcement officers converged on the scene, but waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman.
This is the first lawsuit since 600-page Justice Department report Released in January, it listed the “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology issues of the day.
The lawsuit alleges that state troopers aggressively trained the shooter and confronted him even though students and teachers inside the school followed their own lockdown procedures, which included turning off lights, locking doors, and remaining silent. He points out that he did not follow his responsibilities.
“These protocols will keep teachers and students indoors and rely entirely on law enforcement to respond quickly and effectively,” the families and their lawyers said in a statement.
Frightened students inside the classroom called 911, while parents begged officers to enter the classroom, some of whom said they heard gunshots while standing in the hallway. . A tactical team of officers eventually entered the classroom and shot and killed the gunman.
“Law enforcement’s inaction that day was a complete and absolute betrayal of these families and the sons, daughters and mothers they lost,” said Erin Logiers, one of the families’ attorneys. “TXDPS had the resources, training and firepower to respond appropriately, but ignored them all and failed on every level. There is also.”
A criminal investigation into the police response by Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell’s office is still ongoing. a grand jury Several law enforcement officials have already been subpoenaed to testify this year.
The lawsuit against 92 Texas Department of Public Safety employees and police officers also names as defendants the Uvalde School District, former Robb Elementary Principal Mandy Gutierrez and former Uvalde Schools Police Chief Peter Arredondo.
A separate lawsuit filed in December 2022 against local police, state police, cities, and other schools and law enforcement agencies seeks at least the following: $27 billion and survivor class action status. At least two other Georgia-based lawsuits have also been filed. Firearms manufacturer Daniel Defense, Inc. This produced the AR-style rifle used by the perpetrator.
The families capped their settlement with the city at $2 million, saying they didn’t want to bankrupt the city they still live in and don’t want the community to continue to recover. The settlement money will be paid by the city’s insurance.
In the settlement, the city agreed to new “job fitness” standards and enhanced training for Uvalde Police Department officers. It also establishes May 24 as an annual day of remembrance, establishes a permanent memorial in the city square, and supports mental health services for the families and the entire Uvalde community.
The police response to the mass shooting has been criticized and scrutinized by state and federal authorities. 600 pages Department of Justice report In January, we listed the “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership, and technology issues of the day;
A separate report commissioned by the city also found cascading failures by law enforcement but defended the actions of local police, which drew ire from the victims’ families.
“The law enforcement and officers who allowed our families to be destroyed that day have made us endure pain for two years without any accountability.” , said Veronica Luevanos, whose daughter Jayla and nephew Jace were murdered. “This settlement reflects the first good faith efforts, especially by the City of Ubalde, to begin to rebuild trust in a system that has failed to protect us.”
