The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been ordered by a district court judge in Austin to release public records relating to the law enforcement response to the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The ruling, which was made on June 29, came in response to a lawsuit filed by several media outlets, including CNN, CBS, NBC, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and The Texas Tribune. The publications had sued the state department for failing to release the records.
In their lawsuit, the media outlets requested the release of various documents, including 911 calls, radio traffic, officer body camera footage, police reports, training materials, and school surveillance footage. They argued that the failure to publish this information violated state law. The publications initially requested the records under the Texas Public Information Act, but Uvalde officials and state police declined to release them, citing ongoing investigations into the matter.
The news outlets challenged this decision, stating that the shooter’s guilt was not in question and therefore the records should be made public. They argued that false and misleading statements made by authorities regarding the initial police response had undermined public trust and caused distress to the victims and their families. Releasing the records, they contended, would promote transparency and accountability.
The shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24 resulted in the deaths of two teachers and 19 children between the ages of 9 and 11. Eighteen others were injured. The law enforcement response to the shooting has faced widespread criticism, as has the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District for its handling of the incident. It took Uvalde Police Department officers 77 minutes to confront and apprehend the shooter.
A report published by the Texas state House of Representatives shortly after the shooting highlighted numerous failures in the law enforcement and school district’s handling of the incident. The report described “shortcomings, systematic failures, and egregious poor decision making” on both sides.
Following Judge Daniella Deseta Lyttle’s ruling, the DPS will be required to release the requested records. However, the records will not be immediately available. DPS has until August 31 to provide a detailed log of proposed redactions, and a hearing on these redactions is scheduled for September. DPS also has the option to appeal the ruling, and both parties must submit proposals for final judgment by July 14.
The ruling has been welcomed by Laura Lee Prather, a First Amendment lawyer representing the news organizations involved in the lawsuit. She stated that the ruling acknowledges the public’s right to know what happened during the shooting and brings the Uvalde community and all Texas citizens closer to understanding the events of that day.
In addition to the media lawsuit, several other legal actions have been initiated in relation to the Uvalde shooting. Survivors of the incident have filed a $27 billion class-action lawsuit against multiple law enforcement officials in the state. The Uvalde school district and individual law enforcement officers have also faced legal challenges.
The Epoch Times sought comment from the Texas Department of Public Safety but has yet to receive a response.
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