Uvalde families ask for space to grieve ahead of anniversary
- It's been a year since 19 kids, 2 adults were killed in a Uvalde school
- City leaders and families asked for space to grieve privately
- Investigations into a flawed police response are still ongoing
FILE – Crosses, flowers and other memorabilia form a make-shift memorial for the victims of the shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, July 10, 2022. The Associated Press and other news organizations are suing officials in Uvalde after months of refusal to publicly release records related to the May 2022 shooting at the elementary school. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
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(NewsNation) — Days before the one-year anniversary of a devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead, city leaders have asked for the media and well-wishers to give the families privacy and space to grieve.
“We won’t be doing interviews after today,” Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a press conference Monday. “It’s time for the families and the survivors.”
While there will be a public vigil held on the anniversary, families of the victims are also holding private events to memorialize those lost.
Certain parking garages and streets around the city’s central plaza would be blocked off starting Tuesday to allow families a space to gather and grieve. McLaughlin said there will be changes made but not until the city spoke with the families about how to go forward with any memorials.
“We’re never going to get over this day, the families are never going to get over this day,” McLaughlin said. “My prayers are that no town ever has to go through this.”
On May 24, 2022, a school shooter opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The law enforcement response at the school came under intense scrutiny in the months to come, after revelations that it took authorities 77 minutes to enter the classroom to subdue the shooter.
Monday, McLaughlin expressed frustration that in the year since the tragedy, the families and survivors still didn’t have many answers about the breakdown of law enforcement response during the shooting.
“Everybody (who) was there that day has to be held accountable,” McLaughlin said.
City Manager Vince DiPiazza told reporters that the city’s independent investigation into the police response is moving forward after being tied up in legal battles.
“We have to do this right,” he said. “It’s taken way too long but we’ve got to see this through.”
McLaughlin also called for gun control, an issue taken up by a number of Uvalde families and survivors. Efforts at creating stricter gun laws in Texas have been opposed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, along with other politicians. McLaughlin expressed frustration that leaders in Texas were unwilling to come to any compromise on the issue.
“We need to have a conversation, we need to look at changes in the law, we need to do stronger background checks, but we have elected officials that say ‘My way or the highway,'” he said.
City leaders also said plans to demolish the school were still being held up in litigation after the courts granted a request from the district attorney to block the demolition.
