Call for action from Texas
Justice announces review of police response after 21 killed in school rampage
President Joe Biden grieved with the shattered community of Uvalde on Sunday, mourning privately for three hours with anguished families left behind when a gunman killed 19 schoolchildren and two teachers. Faced with chants of “do something ” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”
The visit came hours after the Justice Department announced Sunday that it will review the law enforcement response to the shootings and make its findings public.
At Robb Elementary School, Biden visited a memorial of 21 white crosses — one for each of those killed — and first lady Jill Biden added a bouquet of white flowers to those already placed in front of the school sign. The couple then viewed individual altars erected in memory of each student.
After visiting the memorial, Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where several victims’ families are members, and one of the families was in attendance.
As Biden departed the church to meet privately with family members, a crowd of about 100 people began chanting “do something.” Biden answered, “We will,” as he got into his car. It was not immediately clear what the president was suggesting.
Biden tweeted during the visit that he grieves, prays and stands with the people of Uvalde. “And we are committed to turning this pain into action,” he said.
The visit to Uvalde was Biden’s second trip in as many weeks to console a community in loss after a mass shooting. He traveled to Buffalo on May 17 to meet with victims’ families and condemn white supremacy after a shooter
espousing the racist “replacement theory” killed 10 Black people at a supermarket.
Both shootings and their aftermath put a fresh spotlight on the nation’s entrenched divisions and its inability to forge consensus on actions to reduce gun violence.
The president and first lady visited amid mounting scrutiny of the police response. Officials revealed Friday that students and teachers repeatedly begged 911 operators for help as a police commander told more than a dozen officers to wait in a hallway. Officials said the commander believed the suspect was barricaded inside an adjoining classroom and that there was no longer an active attack.
The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was killed by Border Patrol tactical officers.
The Justice Department
review is being conducted at the request of Uvalde’s mayor, officials said.
In a statement, department spokesman Anthony Coley said the goal of the review is “to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events.”
Handling the review is the department’s Office of Community Policing Services.
In Congress, a bipartisan group of senators talked over the weekend to see if they could reach even a modest compromise on gun safety legislation after a decade of mostly failed efforts.
Encouraging state “red flag” laws to keep guns away from those with mental health issues, and addressing school security and mental health resources were on the table, said Sen. Chris Murphy, who is leading the effort.
The group will meet again this week under a 10-day deadline to strike a
deal.