Texas House committee releases Uvalde shooting report

By Maureen Chowdhury and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 8:45 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

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7:10 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Here's what we know about the Texas House committee's report on the Uvalde school massacre

From CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, Dakin Andone, Matthew J. Friedman, Elizabeth Joseph and Peter Nickeas

A preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee probing the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre outlines a series of failures by multiple law enforcement agencies, describing "an overall lackadaisical approach" by authorities on the scene of the shooting in which 21 people were killed.

It's just one of the findings in the 77-page report, which also details failures by several other entities, including the Uvalde school system, the shooter's family and social media platforms.

Here are key facts from the report:

Responders failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety: The report outlined the multiple failures by several entities, including law enforcement responders wasting "precious time" securing their own safety instead of prioritizing "the rescue of innocent victims." The report said, "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 added, "The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon."
376 responders from various agencies were on scene the day of the massacre: Citing information from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas House Uvalde massacre report publicly accounts for the breakdown of responders by agency. Of the 376 responders, 149 were from the United States Border Patrol, 14 were from the Department of Homeland Security, and 91 were from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the report outlines. The report also states that 25 responders were from Uvalde Police Department, 16 were from San Antonio Police Department (SWAT), and 16 were from the Uvalde County Sheriff's Office. The report does not itemize when each of these responding officials arrived on site.
Uvalde school police chief failed to assume his "responsibility of incident command": First responders at the scene “lost critical momentum” by treating the situation as a "barricaded subject" scenario instead of an "active shooter" scenario, the report stated. There was no law enforcement on scene when the shooter "came over the fence and toward the school." Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo “did not assume his pre-assigned responsibility of incident command,” and other officers on scene didn't offer assistance with incident command. Arredondo stayed in the hallway where he lacked “reliable communication with other law enforcement and he was unable to effectively implement staging or command and control of the situation.” Arredondo didn't have his radios with him, so was unaware of 911 dispatch conversations because of “his failure to establish a reliable method of receiving critical information outside the building.”
Robb Elementary School lockdown likely delayed by "poor Wi-Fi connectivity": The report reached a preliminary conclusion that "not all teachers received timely notice of the lockdown." It stated, "Poor Wi-Fi connectivity in Robb Elementary likely delayed the lockdown alert," and not all teachers received the alert immediately, according to the report. The report said the school intercom wasn't used to communicate during the lockdown. "As a result, not all teachers received timely notice of the lockdown."
Robb Elementary had "recurring problems with maintaining its doors and locks: Robb Elementary School had "recurring problems with maintaining its doors and locks," according to the preliminary conclusions from a Texas House investigative committee's report on the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde. "In particular the locking mechanism to Room 111 was widely known to be faulty, yet it was not repaired," the report said. "Robb Elementary had a culture of noncompliance with safety policies requiring doors to be kept locked, which turned out to be fatal," the report said.
Family members of Uvalde school shooter "uniformly refused to buy guns for him": The report outlined information that was available about the shooter, Salvador Ramos. According to the report, the shooter had an "unstable home life," including a mother struggling with substance abuse issues and and no father figure. The shooter's family "moved often and lived in relative poverty." Family members of the shooter knew that he was estranged from his mother and that leading up to his 18th birthday, "he asked for help in making straw gun purchases which would have been illegal." Family members "uniformly refused to buy guns for him," the report stated.

Read the full report here.

8:45 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

First on CNN: Uvalde video shows children scrambling for safety and a chief fumbling with door keys

From CNN's Shimon Prokupecz and Matthew J. Friedman

In this still from a video released by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, officers attempt to open the door of a classroom inside Robb Elementary. (City of Uvalde)

Dramatic new video of first responders at Robb Elementary School shows a close-up view of the action — and inaction — of the law enforcement response to the unfolding massacre.

Body camera footage reveals officers smashing windows and pulling children out of the school as well as inside a hallway fumbling with keys and failing to pry open a door near to where a gunman had control of two classrooms full of dead, dying and terrified children and teachers.

Unlike the earlier pictures from the school surveillance camera that were released by the Austin American-Statesman this month, the new footage shows close-ups from just outside Classrooms 111 and 112 and reveals conversations between officers and pleas to the shooter.

The video was given first to CNN by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who told us last month how frustrated he was at the investigation into the response to the shooting that killed 19 children aged between 9 and 11 and two teachers.

He said he released the materials despite instructions from the office of District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee, who is leading an investigation into the response.

CNN confirmed that the families of the dead and injured were offered opportunities to see the videos. They have been critical of how long it took for the gunman to be stopped -- 77 minutes from when officers first entered the school despite training being to confront a shooter to "stop the killing."

The release of the video to CNN came on the same day as an interim report from a Texas House Committee into the massacre described a "lackadaisical approach" by those sent to help. It outlines failures by multiple law enforcement agencies, and addresses problems with locks, doors and Wi-Fi at the school, and the shooter's personal and family history.

Read more here.

6:32 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Uvalde investigative report shows "multiple systemic failures" in mass shooting, lawmakers say

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

As the gunman was inside, worried parents gathered outside the school along with law enforcement and first responders. (Pete Luna/Uvalde Leader-News)

“Multiple systemic failures” summarize the findings of the Texas House investigative committee’s report into Uvalde’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, and “lays bare human failures” that “make us confront collapses in our system,” committee members explained.

Following a nearly two-hour meeting with family members, Reps. Dustin Burrows and Joe Moody, along with Justice Eva Guzman spoke with the media to explain their findings.

“You cannot cherry pick one sentence and use it to say everything without reading it all and with context,” he warned, urging people to read the entire 77-page report.

“Several officers in the hallway or in that building knew or should have known there was dying in that classroom and they should have done more acting with urgency,” Burrows said.

A lack of law enforcement leadership both inside and outside of the school were also notable areas of failure in the response to the shooting.

“In hindsight, we can we can say that Robb Elementary was not adequately prepared for the risk of a school shooter,” said Burrows, specifically noting that other schools are believed to have many of the same issues. “This is a wider problem.”

“There were officers in that building, who knew or should have known, more needed to be done,” Burrows said. “And there was also officers who should have seen some of the chaos going on in a least at a minimum, if they didn't take over command or tried to assume command, they shouldn't began asking questions, or offer their support and guidance, and eventually maybe they would have gotten command to have a better response.”

Committee members stopped short of assigning specific blame to responding officers in their report, but made clear in Sunday’s news conference that they believe responding law enforcement should be held accountable.

“If somebody failed to exercise, their training, if somebody knew there were victims in there being killed or dying, and did not do more. I believe those agencies will have to find accountability for those officers,” Burrows said.

Guzman added, “The report says if you're not willing to put the lives of the people you serve those children before you are on in my view, you should find another job."

6:23 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Texas lawmakers lay out details of Uvalde report: Officers "should've done more"

Following the release of a a preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee on the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas lawmakers addressed the multiple failures by law enforcement agencies and the need for improvements during a news conference Sunday.

Texas State Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Republican, said, "That day several officers in the hallway or in that building, knew or should have known there was dying in that classroom. And they should've done more, acted with urgency. Tried the door handles, tried to go in through the windows, try to distract him, try to do something to address the situation."

He continued, "In fairness, there were many officers at that scene who were either denied access to the building or told misinformation, some were even told false information."

Lawmakers also discussed the needs to review systemic failures and enact change.

"What happened here is complicated. But there's also a call to action in this report, because systems are something that we can and must improve," said Texas State Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat.

Earlier today: A private meeting between Rob Elementary School shooting victims' families and members of the investigative committee following the release of the committee's preliminary report has concluded.

One source described the meeting as "brutal" and emotionally charged.

5:35 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Responders failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety, report says

A preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee probing the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre outlined the multiple failures by several entities, including law enforcement responders wasting "precious time" securing their own safety instead of prioritizing "the rescue of innocent victims."

"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 said.

The report added, "The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon."

Law enforcement responders also failed to recognize that the situation was an "active shooter scenario," the report said.

"Correcting this error should have sparked greater urgency to immediately breach the classroom by any possible means, to subdue the attacker, and to deliver immediate aid to survive victims. Recognition of an active shooter scenario also should have prompted responders to prioritize the rescue of innocent victims over the precious time wasted in a search for door keys, and shields to enhance the safety of law enforcement responders," the report stated.

5:04 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

21 people were killed at Robb Elementary School. Here's how their loved ones are remembering them.

From CNN's Holly Yan, Harmeet Kaur, Melissa Alonso, Amir Vera and Sharif Paget

Victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting. (Various sources)

One of the 10-year-olds aspired to be a lawyer someday. Another loved video games and anything with wheels. And another was saving up for a trip to Disney World.

In the midst of their grief, family members are sharing photos and memories about the 19 students and two teachers killed when a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May.

Here's what we know about the victims:

Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo was 10 years old, her cousin told the Washington Post. Austin Ayala told the paper the family is devastated after losing Nevaeh, whom he said put a smile on everyone's face.
Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares was killed along with her cousin, according to posts by her family on social media. Cazares' family recently came together to celebrate her first Communion, her father said. "Through COVID, through the death of a family member a year ago, it brought us together and it was something beautiful," he added. "And now, we're being brought together, but it is in tragedy."
Makenna Lee Elrod loved to play softball, do gymnastics and spend time with her family, her aunt, told ABC. She was a natural leader and loved school. McCullough described her niece as "a light to all who knew her."
Jose Flores Jr. was an amazing kid and big brother to his siblings, his father Jose Flores Sr. told CNN. He said the 10-year-old loved baseball and video games. Jose Jr. wanted to be a police officer when he grew up because he wanted to protect others.
Eliahna "Ellie" Garcia was nine years old and about to turn 10, family members told CNN affiliate KHOU. She loved the movie "Encanto," cheerleading and basketball, according to her grandparents. They said she dreamed of becoming a teacher.
Uziyah Garcia was "full of life," according to an uncle, Mitch Renfro. He was 10-years-old and loved video games and anything with wheels. He leaves behind two sisters.
Amerie Jo Garza had recently just turned 10 years old, and her family had fulfilled her birthday wishes by gifting her a phone, her father Angel Garza told CNN's Anderson Cooper Wednesday. Garza eventually learned from two students that his daughter tried to use her new phone to call authorities during the shooting.
Jayce Luevanos' grandfather Carmelo Quiroz told USA Today that the 10-year-old and his mother lived with him. He said Jayce was happy and loved. "He was our baby," Quiroz said.
Xavier Lopez was described as "funny, never serious" with a smile that "would always cheer anyone up," his mother, Felicha Martinez, told The Washington Post. Just hours before he was killed, Lopez was lauded at Robb Elementary's honor roll ceremony and couldn't wait to go to middle school, his mother said.
Tess Marie Mata had been saving money for a trip to Disney World with her family, her sister, Faith Mata, told The Washington Post. Tess was in the fourth grade and loved TikTok dances, Ariana Grande and the Houston Astros, Mata said.
Maranda Mathis was a bright girl who was fun and spunky, Leslie Ruiz, who identified herself as a friend of Mathis' mother, told The Washington Post. She said that her best friend was her brother and he was also at Robb Elementary when the shooting happened.
Alithia Ramirez was in fourth grade and loved to draw, her father, Ryan Ramirez, told CNN affiliate KSAT. Alithia wanted to be an artist.
Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez was 10 years old, family members told CNN affiliate KHOU-TV. Her family told the news station that she was in the same classroom as her cousin Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, who was also killed in the shooting.
Maite Rodriguez dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Her mother, Ana Rodriguez, on Facebook that she was "sweet, charismatic, loving, caring, loyal, free, ambitious, funny, silly, goal driven" and her best friend.
Lexi Rubio made the All-A honor roll and received a good citizen award, her parents Felix and Kimberly Rubio told CNN. They said they were proud of their daughter, who loved softball and basketball. She wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up.
Layla Salazar loved to swim with her two older brothers, her family told CNN. She was an active child who loved to run, film Tik Tok videos and dance, her parents Vincent Salazar III and Melinda Alejandro Salazar said.
Jailah Nicole Silguero enjoyed dancing and making TikTok videos, her mother Veronica Luevanos told CNN network partner, Univision.
Eliahna "Elijah" Cruz Torres also was killed in the shooting, her aunt Leandra Vera told CNN. "Our baby gained her wings," Vera said.
Rojelio Torres was a "very intelligent, hard-working and helpful person. He will be missed and never forgotten," his aunt Precious Perez told CNN affiliate KSAT.
Eva Mireles was a fourth grade teacher at the school, family members told CNN. Mireles had been an educator for 17 years. Erica Torres recalled the care with which Mireles treated her son Stanley, who has autism, while he was in her third- and fourth grade classes. "She made you feel like she was only teaching your child," Torres said. "Like there's no other students but him. She made you feel so good."
Irma Garcia was a teacher, a wife and mother to four children. Garcia's nephew, John Martinez, told The Washington Post that officials informed the family that she helped shield students from the gunfire. Two days after Garcia's death, her husband, Joe, suffered a fatal heart attack, the Archdiocese of San Antonio told CNN. The pair's family says he died of a broken heart.

Read more about the victims here.

CNN's Jose Lesh, Amanda Jackson, Nicole Chavez, Chris Boyette, Sara Smart, Jeffrey Winter, Caroll Alvarado, David Williams, Sara Smart, Amanda Watts and Raja Razek contributed to this report.

4:57 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Texas House speaker: Uvalde report gives "answers to the people who need it most"

From CNN's Rosa Flores

Dade Phelan, speaker of the Texas House, said the Texas House investigative committee's report provided the "most thorough and accurate information" on the May 24 Uvalde school massacre, in a tweet Sunday.

He added that the report "has provided answers to people who need it most."

See Phelan's full statement here:

6:24 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

First on CNN: Acting Uvalde Police chief on day of shooting has been placed on administrative leave

From CNN's Matt Friedman and Shimon Prokupecz

Lt. Mariano Pargas, the acting chief of the Uvalde Police Department on the day of shooting, has been suspended. (From Facebook)

Lt. Mariano Pargas, the acting chief of the Uvalde Police Department on the day of the shooting, has been placed on "administrative leave," according to a statement by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin.

In the statement, McLaughlin said, "the City has placed Lt. Mariano Pargas on administrative leave. Lt. Pargas was the acting Chief of Police for the City of Uvalde the day of the shooting. The City has a responsibility to evaluate the response to the incident by the Uvalde Police Department, which includes Lt. Pargas’ role as the acting Chief," the statement says. "This administrative leave is to investigate whether Lt. Pargas was responsible for taking command on May 24th, what specific actions Lt. Pargas took to establish that command, and whether it was even feasible given all the agencies involved and other possible policy violations."

He is the latest official to be reprimanded in relation to law enforcement's response to the school shooting. The Texas House investigative committee's report described law enforcement response as "lackadaisical."

In late June, Uvalde school district police chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo was placed on leave.

"Because of the lack of clarity that remains and the unknown timing of when I will receive the results of the investigations, I have made the decision to place Chief Arredondo on administrative leave effective on this date," Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell said in a statement at the time.

CNN has reached out to Pargas for comment.

This post has been updated with a new statement from Mayor Don McLaughlin.

4:30 p.m. ET, July 17, 2022

Families of Uvalde victims receive Texas committee report ahead of meeting with officials Sunday

From CNN's Digital Photo Team

A preliminary report by a Texas House investigative committee on the Robb Elementary school massacre in Uvalde that left 21 dead was officially released Sunday and made available to victims' families.

Families are expected to meet with the committee Sunday afternoon to discuss the 77-page report.

Here are some photos by photographer Lisa Krantz showing victims’ families today picking up the report in Uvalde.