HOUSTON — Families of 19 of the victims in the Uvalde elementary school shooting in Texas on Wednesday announced a $500 million lawsuit against nearly 100 Texas DPS officers who were part of the botched law enforcement response.
The 92 officers being sued were among more than 370 federal, state and local officers who waited 77 minutes to confront the teenage gunman at Robb Elementary, attorneys announced Wednesday. While they waited, he killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers with an AR-15 weapon in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
“While there is nothing normal about living in a society where kids can easily get access to a military rifle, the reality is that these officers were so terrified that they chose to abandon their burden to the Uvalde community: put themselves between a very dangerous person and a child, and the families must hold them accountable,” attorney Josh Koskoff said at a news conference with the families.
During that hour and seven minutes on May 24, 2022, terrified students in the classrooms called 911 and begged for help. Law enforcement officers didn't budge.
"Three hundred seventy-six to one at the end of the day. On paper, it should’ve been no contest so what happened?" Koskoff asked.
The lawsuit notes state troopers did not follow their active shooter training and responsibility to confront the shooter, even as the students and teachers inside followed their lockdown protocols of turning off lights, locking doors, and staying silent.
Relatives of 17 students killed and two who were injured joined the lawsuit.
“Nearly 100 officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety have yet to face a shred of accountability for cowering in fear while my daughter and nephew bled to death in their classroom,” Veronica Luevanos, whose daughter Jailah and nephew Jayce were killed, said in a statement. “For two long years, we have languished in pain and without any accountability from the law enforcement agencies and officers who allowed our families to be destroyed that day."
Attorneys also announced that they are suing Mandy Gutierrez, who was the principal at Robb at the time, and Pedro “Pete” Arredondo, who was the school district police chief, for their “inaction” that day.
Motorola Solutions Inc., the radio communications, is also being sued.
Uvalde families reach $2M settlement in lawsuit against city
The families also agreed to a $2 million settlement with the City of Uvalde, under which city leaders promised higher standards and better training for local police.
The settlement with the city was capped at $2 million because the families said they didn’t want to bankrupt the city where they still live and to allow the community to continue to heal. The settlement will be paid from the city’s insurance coverage.
Under the settlement, the city agreed to a new “fitness for duty” standard and enhanced training for Uvalde police officers. It also establishes May 24 as an annual day of remembrance, a permanent memorial in the city plaza, and support for mental health services for the families and the greater Uvalde area.
An independent investigator hired by the city to look into the Uvalde Police Department and their response to the shooting cleared all officers of wrongdoing.
A criminal investigation into the police response by Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell’s office remains ongoing. A grand jury was summoned this year, and some law enforcement officials have already been called to testify.
Another report commissioned by the city also noted rippling missteps by law enforcement but defended the actions of local police, which sparked anger from victims’ families.
"It’s been an unbearable two years. No amount of money is worth the lives of our children," said Javier Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jackie was killed. "Justice and accountability have always been my main concern. The time has come to do the right thing."
The mass shooting has divided the community of roughly 15,000 people. Koskoff got emotional when he said the families don't want to leave the home they love despite the lack of support.
"This day is really a day to allow these families to heal and tell the community that they love you, they love living here and they want to stay here. And they need you," Koskoff said. "When you see them on the street, you know, you don't have to look away, even if you wear a badge."
The City of Uvalde released the following statement after the news conference.
“Today, we are thankful to join the victims’ families in arriving at an agreement that will allow us to remember the Robb Elementary tragedy while moving forward together as a community to bring healing and restoration to all those affected. We will forever be grateful to the victims’ families for working with us over the past year to cultivate an environment of community-wide healing that honors the lives and memories of those we tragically lost. May 24th is our community’s greatest tragedy.”
Lawsuit planned against federal government
Koskoff said another lawsuit is forthcoming against the federal government, which, he said, had over 150 "heavily-trained and equipped" officers who "stood around."
"No disciplinary action has been taken against these officers. One way to look at that is a cover-up, which there’s a lot of that going around. Everyone from the government blames everyone else," Koskoff said. "The federal government laid blame at the feet of local officials. The state of Texas, what have they done? A lot of talk, a lot of blame. What has Texas done besides deny families info they deserve?"
The lawsuit announced Wednesday is the first after a 600-page Justice Department report was released in January that cataloged “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology that day.
A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.
“Law enforcement’s inaction that day was a complete and absolute betrayal of these families and the sons, daughters and mothers they lost,” said Erin Rogiers, one of the attorneys for the families. “Texas DPS had the resources, training and firepower to respond appropriately, and they ignored all of it and failed on every level. These families have not only the right but also the responsibility to demand justice.”
Another lawsuit filed in December 2022 against local and state police, the city, and other school and law enforcement, seeks at least $27 billion and class-action status for survivors. At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Georgia-based gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, which made the AR-style rifle used by the gunman.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Schneider Electric USA Inc., the door lock manufacturer, was part of the 2022 lawsuit. Shneider Electric was in that lawsuit, but later dropped.