Uvalde families settle with city
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Nineteen families of Robb Elementary School mass shooting victims settled their suit against the city of Uvalde and have taken legal action against the Texas Department of Public Safety and the school district two years after the tragedy.
Why it matters: The settlement is a way for the community to heal while continuing to push for accountability from the state and follows a January Justice Department report that found lives would have been saved if not for failures by local and state police.
Driving the news: The families, represented by Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC and Guerra LLP, announced the settlement and lawsuit against the state yesterday, two days before the two-year mark of the May 24, 2022, shooting.
Zoom in: The city will use insurance to pay a total of $2 million to the families, according to the firms representing them.
- The settlement also lists commitments from the city, including the implementation of a "fitness for duty" standard for Uvalde police officers, which will be coordinated with the DOJ.
- The city also agreed to work with the families on public safety risks.
What they're saying: Erin Rogiers, an attorney for the families, called the police response to the shooting an "absolute betrayal" yesterday.
What's next: Ninety-two individual DPS officers are included in the suit against the state.
- Uvalde school district employees Mandy Gutierrez and Pedro "Pete" Arredondo are also defendants. Gutierrez was the Robb Elementary principal at the time of the shooting and Arredondo was the district's police chief.
Also yesterday, Joshua Gutierrez, who became the police chief for Uvalde schools after Arredondo's termination, announced his resignation.
- Meanwhile, Tim Miller, director of the Moving Forward Foundation, tells Axios $20 million is needed to complete the construction of a new school to replace Robb. Donations can be made online.