Uvalde School Shooting Could Have Been Stopped Earlier, New DOJ Probe Finds

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into the Uvalde school shooting has now been released, and it showed a failure on the part of authorities to act and prevent the killing of innocent children at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The report found that "Officers had many opportunities as the 2022 school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, was still unfolding," agreeing with the previous findings by the Texas legislature regarding the massacre that left 19 elementary school children and two of their teachers dead.

The damning report, obtained by CNN, noted that "Bursts of gunfire, reports a teacher had been shot, then a desperate call from a student trapped with the gunman could - and should - all have prompted a drive to stop the bloodshed far sooner."

It took 77 minutes from the time the 18-year-old shooter walked into Robb Elementary School to the time he stopped shooting, and this was enough time for police to step in and stop him from killing 22 people inside the school.

"Critical Failures in leadership" is also blamed by the Justice Department in its damning 575-page report, which came out almost 20 months after the tragic Uvalde school shooting. It has been described as the "fullest official accounting of what happened," as the DOJ had access to more resources than the state government did when the state legislature launched its investigation.

The DOJ Uvalde Report also found that there were problems that arose after the 18-year-old gunman's death. These include getting students away from the school and reuniting with families, as well as how authorities informed parents that their children were killed and how therapy services were provided.

"The response to the May 24, 2022, mass casualty incident at Robb Elementary School was a failure," the DOJ report concluded bluntly.

AG Merrick Garland Reacts to DOJ Uvalde Probe Findings

With the release of the DOJ Uvalde probe findings, Department of Justice Secretary, Attorney General Merrick Garland, held an emotional press conference and stated, "Their loved ones deserved better."

"The law enforcement response at Robb Elementary School... and then the hours and days after, was a failure that should not have happened," he stated. "Had law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices in an active shooter situation and gone right after the shooter to stop him, lives would have been saved, and people would have survived."

The DOJ sent investigators into Uvalde nine times, spending a total of 54 days on-site and conducting more than 260 interviews with individuals, with members of the mostly Latino community expressing their thanks for pursuing the truth.

President Joe Biden Also Reacts To DOJ Probe Findings About Uvalde School Shooting

President Joe Biden also reacted to the report and called on Congress to pass "commonsense" gun laws. These include universal background checks and a national red flag law, which allows courts to order the removal of firearms from a person deemed potentially dangerous, according to ABC News. He also asked Congress to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.

"No community should ever have to go through what the Uvalde community suffered," he said in a statement.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: DOJ report on Uvalde shooting cites 'cascading failures' - ABC News