The Uvalde school shooting on May 24, 2022, marked one of the most tragic events in recent American history, claiming the lives of 19 children and two teachers. The police response, widely criticized for its failures, has become a focal point of public outrage and demands for full accountability. Over 70 minutes passed between the arrival of law enforcement and the killing of the shooter. This delay, compounded by conflicting reports and a lack of decisive action, has underscored the dire need for an uncompromising examination of what went wrong.
The demand for accountability for Uvalde should include the horrible decision making during the actual event but in addition there needs to be answerability for the official law enforcement cover-up after the shooting, which many of the victims’ families say continues to this day.
It is expected after a massive public law enforcement failure that the head of the department accepts the responsibility and resigns. For example, after the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump during his campaign rally in Butler Pennsylvania on July 17, the head of the U.S. Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned. She took responsibility for the security lapses that allowed the gunman to gain access to a nearby roof and open fire. Cheatle was not on the scene during the shooting, and she didn’t not have any direct involvement in the setting up the security, but she was held ultimately responsible. Why isn’t that also the standard applied to the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety Steve McCraw?
Families of the victims and the general public deserve full transparency. They need to know why officers hesitated, why tactical decisions were delayed, and how communication breakdowns occurred. The failure to act swiftly not only cost lives but also eroded trust in law enforcement’s ability to protect communities. The public’s right to answers is rooted in a fundamental principle of justice: accountability. Without a thorough investigation and acknowledgment of these failures, the wounds inflicted on the victims' families and the broader community will only deepen.
Beyond addressing the pain of those directly affected, a rigorous examination of the police response is essential for the future of public safety. Lessons learned from this tragedy must be implemented to ensure that such a catastrophic breakdown in protocol never happens again. Policies, training, and emergency response strategies must be scrutinized and reformed where necessary. This is not only to honor the memory of those who were lost but also to prevent future tragedies.
Guest:
Jason Buch is an independent journalist based in Texas. A native of Austin, Buch spent 10 years covering immigration and the Texas-Mexico border for Texas newspapers.
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*This interview will be recorded on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
