The families of victims of the Robb Elementary School mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers have been awarded $2 million from the city of Uvalde, Texas. The settlement comes nearly two years to the day that a gunman opened fire at the Uvalde elementary school on May 24, 2022.
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The $2 million paid out to families comes after heavy criticism of responding officers, who reportedly waited 77 minutes before entering the school and eventually killing the gunman. During the press conference on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, the attorney representing the families criticized the lack of punishment for any police officers.
The families have also filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit against multiple law enforcement agencies and the Uvalde Independent School District. The suit alleges that law enforcement “fundamentally strayed” from “well-established protocols.” In January, the U.S. Justice Department called the police response a failure in a filed report.
“Had the law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices… lives would have been saved and people would have survived,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said to reporters at the time.
The money from the city will now go to families of 17 of the children killed and two who survived. The city has also agreed to enhance officer training and mental health services for families, victims and residents. In addition, Uvalde will create a memorial with the help of the families and a day of recognition for the victims.
“Pursuing further legal action against the City could have plunged Uvalde into bankruptcy, something that none of the families, were interested in as they look for the community to heal,” the families’ attorneys said in a statement.
