Families of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting victims reached a settlement with Uvalde, Texas, nearly three years after the mass shooting. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old gunman.
The Uvalde City Council voted unanimously to approve the settlement, the terms of which are undisclosed.
“Nothing can ever make up the losses and harms these families endured on May 24, 2022,” Mayor Hector Luevano said at the City Council meeting, “But today’s agreement marks an important step forward in advancing community healing, ensuring our city forever honors the lives we tragically lost, and supporting all surviving victims in the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting.”
Several lawsuits have been filed over the years seeking accountability from law enforcement who were on the scene. Video footage showed police idling outside the classroom where the gunman was for over an hour rather than breaching to confront the shooter. This resulted in violent conflicts between police and parents attempting to enter the school to get their children.
A report from the Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee found “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” by law enforcement.
“At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the report read. “There was an unacceptably long period of time before officers breached the classroom, neutralized the attacker, and began rescue efforts.”
An attorney for the families, Josh Koskoff, said last year that the settlement advocated policy changes from the Uvalde Police Department, including implementing a new “fitness for duty” standard for officers. It also establishes May 24 as an annual Day of Remembrance and calls for creating a public memorial.
HERE ARE THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN STRUCK DOWN
The settlement was capped at $2 million as the families said they did not wish to bankrupt the city where they still live and wanted to allow the community to continue to heal. The city’s insurance coverage will fund it.
Luevano said the settlement “affirms the city’s commitment to supporting the Uvalde Police Department’s Guardian initiative, including enhanced emergency training and evaluation for officers, as well as mental health support, while working to instill trust and confidence in the men and women we take care on the critical responsibilities of protecting all Uvalde residents.”