The Texas governor responded to the U.S. Department of Justice’s latest review of the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
In a statement released shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published its “Critical Incident Review” on January 18, Gov. Greg Abbott lauded the state’s effort to make changes in the aftermath of the tragedy that resulted in the murders of 19 children and two teachers.
“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,” Abbott said.
As covered by The Dallas Express, the DOJ’s report pulled no punches in describing the “cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy, and training” of the law enforcement officers involved.
The passive response of the police, which was shaped by a “lack of clear command presence,” was stressed in the report. The DOJ further criticized authorities for “inconsistencies in messaging” and “misinformation” that exacerbated what was already an unimaginably difficult time for the victims’ families.
The review included several recommendations, ranging from training law enforcement to swiftly neutralize active shooters to developing a policy that provides more direct and transparent communication with the public during such incidents.
The DOJ findings were similar to those already exposed in an investigation conducted in 2022 by a Texas House committee at the request of Gov. Abbott. The resulting report also produced several recommendations stemming from the “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” seen during the shooting, as reported by The Dallas Express.
“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,” the governor’s January 18 press release stated.
School security has been a key issue for state lawmakers since the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, and changes at all stakeholder levels have taken place. For instance, HB 3 was passed by both chambers of the Texas Legislature and was signed into law by Abbott, becoming law in September 2023. As covered by The Dallas Express, the law requires each public school in the state to have an armed security guard stationed on campus unless a valid “good cause exemption” can be presented.
Even though Dallas ISD has a $2.5 billion budget this academic year, it struggled to comply with the new law and had to request exemptions. However, new funding pathways have since been opened up by the Texas Education Agency in the form of the Safety and Facilities Enhancement Grant.
School safety has been an issue at Dallas ISD, which saw two gun-related incidents occur during the 2022-2023 school year. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a Dallas ISD student was shot in the campus parking lot between Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy in March. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde blamed the event on the prevalence of violent crime in Dallas.
Additionally, earlier in the school year, a student managed to get a gun onto campus at John Carpenter Elementary School. The firearm was discharged. No injuries were reported.
At the school board level, approaches to school safety have varied in approach, scope, and technology. Some districts, including Dallas ISD, have made clear backpacks mandatory for all students. While those supporting the measure point to it as a deterrent to bringing dangerous items to school, some have questioned its effectiveness.
Other districts have turned to more high-tech solutions, such as AI-boosted scanners that screen everyone for concealed weapons at school entry points. Some districts have also implemented ID card programs to track students’ movements and streamline everyday activities, such as checking out library books. Another initiative involves deploying SMART tags that allow district parents and guardians to follow their children’s school buses in real time via a web portal.