UVALDE, Texas – U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that a team of department officials and external experts will conduct a critical incident review of the Uvalde Police Department’s response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24.
Garland was joined by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Community Oriented Policing Services Acting Director Robert Chapman and other officials to discuss the department’s next steps.
The US Department of Justice’s goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses; identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and provide a roadmap for community safety and engagement before, during, and after such incidents, according to a release. The assessment will examine issues including policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response. It will also include a review of survivor and victim family support and resources.
“Nothing can undo the pain that has been inflicted on the loved ones of the victims, the survivors, and the entire community of Uvalde,” Garland said. “But the Justice Department can and will use its expertise and independence to assess what happened and to provide guidance moving forward.”
The COPS Office will lead the critical incident review with the support of a team of federal staff and subject matter experts, the release stated.
Those experts include the following:
- Chief Rick Braziel (retired), Sacramento, Calif.
- Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger (retired), Virginia Tech, Va.
- Director of Public Safety Frank Fernandez (retired), Coral Gables, Fla.
- Albert Guarnieri, FBI Unit Chief.
- Major Mark Lomax (retired), Pennsylvania State Police, Pa.
- Laura McElroy, CEO, McElroy Media Group.
- Sheriff John Mina, Orange County, Fla.
- April Naturale, Assistant Vice President, Vibrant Emotional Health
- Chief Kristen Ziman (retired), Aurora, Ill.
The department says it’s committed to moving as expeditiously as possible in the development of the report. The review team will carry out a number of critical steps, including developing a complete incident reconstruction, reviewing relevant documents, conducting site visits, and interviewing a wide variety of stakeholders, including law enforcement, government officials, school officials, witnesses, families of the victims, and community members, according to the release.
The findings, lessons learned, and recommendations contained in the report will be based on national standards and best and emerging practices in the field of policing, current research, community expectations, and innovative solutions tailored to the critical incident review, the release stated. A final report will be issued at the completion of the review.