DOJ’s Uvalde shooting report outlines delays and looks into why injured kids weren’t treated sooner

The Justice Department seldom, if ever, conducts a “critical incident review” of a school shooting, but what happened in Uvalde was so egregious, this type of rigorous review “needed to be done,” said Jillian Snider, a former New York City police officer and adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

She said the results could have implications for school districts and police departments nationwide because it outlines recommendations and best practices for responding to mass shootings. These include having a clear and concise policy; obtaining state or national accreditation to adopt and maintain standardized policies and procedures; and creating and training a regional unified command and coordination group.

“It can’t be a mandate because these situations are so fluid and evolve so quickly,” Snider said. “But there should be guidance on identifying the scene for what it is, that’s task No. 1…”

According to the DOJ, the Uvalde school district’s active shooter policy “was one of the few school district policies in Texas deemed viable” and covered crucial elements, including communication capabilities, coordination with other agencies and a clear chain of command.

However, none of that was followed as responding officials erroneously assumed they were dealing with a barricaded suspect, not an active shooter. This conflicts with most active shooter training, Snider said, and underscores the need for all agencies to be properly trained.