Uvalde School Board Hires New Lawyers to Address Ongoing Transparency Issues

On June 9, 2022, the Uvalde school board hired new lawyers from Walsh Gallegos to address transparency issues surrounding the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting. Despite two unanimous votes to release all related documents and a court-ordered deadline, many public records remain unreleased, with potentially a million pages still pending. The new legal team will coordinate the document release. The school board has released two sets of emails and documents, but CNN reported significant omissions, including files related to pre-shooting safety concerns and a potential payout to the police chief criticized for the failed response. CNN also published maintenance records revealing issues with closing doors at Robb Elementary, which were previously withheld. On May 24, 2022, a teenage gunman, Salvador Ramos, killed 19 children and two teachers at the school. The incident was marked by a delayed law enforcement response, taking 77 minutes to stop the gunman despite the first officers arriving on the scene within three minutes. A Department of Justice report highlighted a culture of complacency regarding door security in the school district, leading to confusion and exacerbated suffering during the incident. Inaccurate and inconsistent messaging from the school district added to the chaos, as students fled through windows while parents gathered outside.

Newly released body camera footage from the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, shows Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo attempting to negotiate with the gunman during the 70-minute delay before officers entered the classroom and killed the shooter. In the video, Arredondo can be heard saying, “This can be peaceful,” while children remained trapped inside.

Outside the school, distressed parents pleaded with law enforcement to intervene as the sound of gunfire continued from within. The release also includes communication logs and transcripts revealing confusion, miscommunication, and indecision among officers during the standoff.

The attack left 19 children and 2 teachers dead, and the new materials shed light on both the internal decision-making and the tense atmosphere on the scene. These records are being made public amid ongoing investigations into the law enforcement response and increasing scrutiny over the delayed intervention.

A newly released body camera video from the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, shows anguished parents pleading with law enforcement to rescue their children during a 70-minute delay before officers confronted the gunman. The footage captures emotional scenes outside the school where parents can be heard urging officers to act as the attack continued inside.

In the video, parents and relatives implore officers to enter the building, expressing desperation and fear for the trapped students. Some officers respond by instructing the crowd to remain calm, while others stand by during the prolonged standoff. The material also reportedly includes exchanges involving school district police chief Pete Arredondo, who is heard trying to communicate with the shooter in an apparent attempt to negotiate.

The 70-minute delay between the time the gunman entered the school and the moment law enforcement officers breached the classroom has been a focal point of public outrage and multiple investigations. Officials previously stated that the delay was due to tactical considerations, but the bodycam footage has intensified scrutiny over the police response.

The video release is part of continuing public interest in understanding how the incident unfolded and why armed officers on the scene waited so long to confront the attacker, who killed 19 students and two teachers.