SAN ANTONIO — Validation was the feeling shared by many Uvalde families whose loved ones died in the Robb Elementary massacre following the release of a scathing report from the U.S. Department of Justice.
But still questions remain about whether criminal charges could be next. Speaking Thursday after the Justice Department's report was made public, those families said that while this was the most thorough, comprehensive investigation they've seen thus far, they're still fighting for accountability.
The federal report into the law enforcement response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in 2022 found multiple failures of law enforcement and concluded the massacre could have been stopped sooner with better training and decision-making by officers.
Loved ones are now wondering if anyone will ever be held accountable for those deaths that Attorney General Merrick Garland said could've been prevented.
Kimberly Rubio, whose daughter, Lexi Rubio, was killed in the shooting, said she hoped the report could improve things going forward. But she also made an impassioned plea for further accountability.
"I hope that the failures end today and that local officials do what wasn't done that day. Do right by the victims and survivors of Robb Elementary. Terminations. Criminal prosecutions," Rubio said. "And our state and federal government (need to) enact sensible gun laws, because Robb Elementary began the day an 18-year-old was allowed to purchase an AR-15."
Families said Wednesday night that they were met with compassion and understanding when visiting with Garland. On Thursday they learned that empathy extended to the report itself, which ends with a 21-page section – one page for each victim – dedicated to telling the stories of those who died at Robb.
New revelations
While some of the findings of the report were covered by previous investigations, Rubio said she did learn more from it.
"I didn't know the scene had been compromised," Rubio said, adding she didn't understand why the identities of certain police officials were kept private in the report. "People were going in and out of the classroom that should not have been. That's covered in the report."
One parent said he hopes this report — with the weight of the Department of Justice behind it — will help to bring the community together and erase doubts about who should be held accountable. Meanwhile, 16 families who lost children at Robb, as well as one family whose child survived the shooting, secured legal counsel. A private attorney says he is evaluating potential legal action on behalf of these families as another means of trying to hold people accountable.
"It's hard enough waking up every day and continuing to walk out on these streets and drive to H-E-B and see a cop you know was standing around while our babies were murdered and bleeding out," said Brett Cross, father of Uziyah Garcia. "Officers all over the country, they don't want to be known as the Uvalde. I'm hoping this information will help tighten them up."
Another parent called for Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell to move forward with criminal charges. For the last several months, Mitchell has said her office is continuing to review evidence. She has also been accused of blocking investigative materials from being released to the public.
"What more does she need? This is probably the most extensive piece that we have about all the failures of that day. What more does she possibly need to prosecute or remove these people from positions of power?" the parent asked.
Veronica Mata, whose daughter Tess was killed at Robb, said what she already knew about the law enforcement response on May 24, 2022, is now set in stone.
"Because the DOJ stamp is on there, maybe y'all will start taking us seriously now," she said.
The DOJ report goes beyond the initial law enforcement failures inside the school and details failures of communication with parents who were desperately seeking information on their missing children. It shows officials had confusing messaging, and parents were often treated with cruelty when seeking updates.
And, in a surprising admission from Garland on Thursday, he said that if officers had followed emergency response protocols like they were supposed to at Robb, lives could have been saved.