UVALDE, Texas – Families affected by the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have reached a $2 million settlement with the city. The settlement comes nearly two years after the deadly attack that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
The families’ attorneys criticized law enforcement for their delayed response to the active shooter situation, noting that the gunman was able to continue the killing spree for over an hour while officers waited to enter the school. As part of the settlement, the city of Uvalde will pay $2 million to the families of the victims.
While the settlement amount may seem low compared to other similar cases, the families’ attorneys emphasized that their clients were not seeking to bankrupt the city. Instead, they wanted to focus on community healing and accountability.
Apart from the monetary compensation, the settlement mandates that Uvalde police officers undergo training and that mental health services be provided to families of victims, survivors, and the broader Uvalde community. Additionally, a permanent memorial will be created, and May 24, the day of the shooting, will be designated an annual “Day of Remembrance.”
Veronica Luevanos, who lost her daughter and nephew in the attack, expressed relief that the settlement marked a first step towards rebuilding trust in the systems that failed to protect them. The families also plan to pursue legal action against Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Uvalde’s school district.
Attorneys representing the families emphasized the need for justice and accountability in the botched response to the attack. They highlighted the failure of law enforcement agencies to act swiftly, which resulted in unnecessary loss of life during the tragic event.
The settlement brings closure to one of the many legal battles stemming from the mass shooting, which also includes lawsuits against the manufacturer of the weapon used in the attack and law enforcement officials present at the scene. The families of survivors have also filed a class action lawsuit against multiple Texas law enforcement agencies.
In light of a Justice Department report that criticized the overall police response to the mass shooting, Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that following established practices could have potentially saved lives during the tragic event.