Families of children killed in the Uvalde, Tex., elementary school mass shooting two years ago and survivors on Wednesday sued against 91 state police officers and the local school district, calling their response the “single greatest failure of law enforcement to confront an active shooter in American history.” Families and survivors said they had reached a settlement with the city of Uvalde that would provide them with $2 million in compensation, start new training for local officers, build a permanent memorial in the city’s central plaza and resolve maintenance issues at a cemetery, reports the Wall Street Journal. A gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers while nearly 400 officers from some two dozen state and federal agencies waited to intervene for more than an hour, even as children repeatedly called 911 from inside a classroom.
The suit is against individuals because of immunity protections for state officials. Among its claims are that the defendants violated the 14th Amendment constitutional rights of the victims and survivors. The school district said it "continues to be open to exploring a resolution involving all the families and individuals impacted by this tragedy.” Veronica Luevanos, whose 10-year-old daughter Jailah and 10-year-old nephew Jayce were killed, called the agreement with the city a good-faith effort to begin rebuilding trust and the lawsuit a necessary effort to seek accountability. “Nearly 100 officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety have yet to face a shred of accountability for cowering in fear while my daughter and nephew bled to death in their classroom,” Luevanos said. State public safety director Steven McCraw has called the response to the shooting an “abject failure” but said his department had found reason to discipline just two of its 91 officers at the scene.
Comments