The Ministry of Justice called on a team of nine people, including an FBI official and former police chiefs, to help review law enforcement responses to a shooting at an elementary school in Uwalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the team during a meeting in its office in Mr. Washington on Wednesday. A critical review of the incidents is conducted by the Office of Community-Based Police Services, Ministry of Justice.
The review will include a study of police policy, training and communication, and the deployment of officers and tactics, the Department of Justice said. It will also examine who handled the incident and how police prepared for potential incidents with active firing.
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said it was trying to “start drafting the report as soon as possible.” Officials said the team would conduct a complete reconstruction of the shooting; read all relevant documents, including policies, photos and videos. ; visit school; interview a number of witnesses and the families of the victims, as well as police, school and government officials.
“Nothing can undo the pain inflicted on the victims’ loved ones, the survivors and the entire Uwalde community,” Garland said in a statement. “But the Ministry of Justice can and will use its experience and independence to assess what has happened and provide instructions for the way forward.”
Revision of Mayor Uwalde’s inquiries. Such a review is quite rare, and most reports after mass shootings are usually compiled by local law enforcement or outside groups. The Justice Department conducted a similar review after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in 2015 and after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in US history. 49 people were killed and 53 injured.
The Ministry of Justice said nine officials in the Uwalde team had been selected for their experience in law enforcement, emergency management, proactive response to shooters, school security and other areas. The team includes a former Sacramento Police Chief, California, a deputy chief who worked at the Virginia Technology Center, the Orange County Sheriff, Florida, the head of the FBI and other officials.
Two weeks ago, 19 students and two teachers were killed at Rob Elementary School in Uwalde. Law enforcement and government officials did their best to provide clear deadlines and details, and they stopped information about the police response.
Armed man, 18 years old Salvador Ramos, spent about 80 minutes at Rob Elementary School, and more than an hour had passed since the first officers followed him into the building and when he was killed, according to the official schedule. Meanwhile, parents outside asked police to rush, and children in a panic called 911 from inside.
