Release of footage, report on Uvalde school shooting response leaves family members frustrated
UVALDE, Texas - Families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting say not enough is being done.
With the release of the footage and investigation report, some family members say they are left with more questions than answers.
Leticia Garcia is the aunt to Uziyah Sergio Garcia, a fourth-grade student who was one of the 21 victims killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting.
"It still feels like a nightmare. It doesn't feel real still," said Garcia.
On Sunday, Garcia along with her brother, Uziyah's dad, and other family members headed to Uvalde to see a mural painted in Uziyah's honor. She says that was the only reason they went to Uvalde since they had no idea the body camera footage, or a report investigating the shooting, were set to be released that same day until they got there.
"We weren't invited. My brother should have been there. He should have been invited. Then we heard that another father wasn't even invited and then escorted it out," said Garcia.
Alfred Garza's daughter Amerie Jo Garcia was also killed in the shooting. Sunday, he says he was escorted out of the family meeting after seeing the video and claiming more could have been done to save his child.
"I was on the site when at the school, when all this stuff was going down, and I was one of those parents that stood back and let the officers do their job. Well, it turns out they didn't do their job," said Garza.
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The report and video released revealed it took nearly an hour and a half for officers to take down the gunman.
"If I knew all this information beforehand, I would have taken matters into their own hands and I would have gone in there," said Garza.
According to the report, blame is placed both on law enforcement response and Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. The report says the school was not prepared for the risk of an armed intruder.
For example, Robb Elementary only had a 5-foot fence around the building and had multiple exterior and interior doors' locks either broken or never properly utilized.
The report even mentions the classrooms where the gunman was able to fire over 100 rounds before any officer even arrived on the scene had a busted lock that was reported to the school administration but was not fixed.
The report adds law enforcement also failed to respond to this school shooting. The document says the time officials took to kill the gunman was unacceptable especially after some officials were found to know that the gunman was in a room with victims and failed to share that with other first responders. Families say these officials need to be disciplined.
"Accountable. [They] need to say, ‘hey, I'm wrong. You're right. I was there. I did nothing to serve and protect y'all, and I'm stepping down, and I'm even going to turn in my badge because I'm a coward,’" said Tina Quintanilla-Taylor, parent of Uvalde student survivor.
After watching the footage and reading the report, many families say they have more questions than answers. They say they feel unsatisfied that no action has been taken as a result of this preliminary investigation.
"I honestly don't think that these officers who were standing around should even have a badge ever. They lost that," said Garcia.
To view the full 82-page report, click here.