AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday, a coalition of media organizations appealed to a Texas appellate court, seeking to compel the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) to disclose records pertaining to the law enforcement response during the devastating Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. This dispute marks the latest chapter in the ongoing debate over transparency regarding one of the deadliest school shootings in the United States.
Previously, a Travis County judge mandated that the state police make these records available following a legal challenge initiated by the news organizations. However, both the state and the Uvalde district attorney have raised concerns, asserting that releasing these documents could hinder ongoing law enforcement investigations. Their objections prompted the state to file an appeal, aiming to prevent the records from being publicly accessible.
During a hearing at the 15th Court of Appeals, Laura Prather, an attorney representing the media entities, criticized the state’s efforts to withhold the information, describing it as an attempt to “shroud the entire file in secrecy indefinitely.” She emphasized the importance of this issue, declaring, “We’re discussing the most significant law enforcement failure in Texas history… The public’s interest in this matter couldn’t be greater.”
A judge on the panel acknowledged the sheer volume of the records in question, which reportedly contains over 6 million pages and hundreds of hours of video footage. Nonetheless, Texas Assistant Solicitor General Sara Baumgardner argued that the district attorney’s objections were sufficient under Texas law to prevent the release of documents. She stated, “The media can make all the inflammatory allegations about DPS they want, but Texas courts have recognized that the best authority to understand what could obstruct a prosecution is the prosecuting attorney, not a group of news outlets.”
The appeals court did not provide a timeline for when it would make a determination on this matter, with the possibility of any ruling being subject to an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
On May 24, 2022, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School, resulting in the tragic deaths of 19 fourth-grade students and two educators. Despite the presence of over 370 officers from various local, state, and federal agencies, there was a delay of over one hour before they confronted and neutralized the shooter.
Although some records related to the Uvalde incident have been made public, the DPS has selectively released findings during news conferences and public legislative hearings. In August, efforts by Uvalde officials culminated in the release of an extensive archive of audio and video footage derived from body cameras and surveillance systems, following a lengthy legal battle.
Numerous reviews conducted by state and federal entities have exposed significant deficiencies in law enforcement training, communication protocols, leadership effectiveness, and technological resources, casting doubt on whether officers placed their own safety ahead of the lives of children and their educators during the incident.
Currently, two former Uvalde school police officers face criminal charges related to their conduct on that fateful day, and multiple lawsuits have been filed by victims or their families at both state and federal levels.