HOUSTON (AP) — A prolonged legal dispute regarding the release of audio and video recordings, as well as other documents related to the May 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, is nearing a conclusion. The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District and Uvalde County are anticipated to publicly release the contested records as soon as this week.
In 2022, media organizations, including The Associated Press, filed a lawsuit against the district and county for access to records tied to the mass shooting that resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers. In July, a Texas appeals court upheld an earlier court ruling mandating the release of these records.
In August 2024, the City of Uvalde released its records from the tragic incident, which included distressing video footage and recordings of police radio communications and 911 calls. The town, with a population of approximately 15,000, is located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of San Antonio. The records revealed a sluggish law enforcement response that has been widely criticized. Nearly 400 officers waited over 70 minutes before confronting the gunman inside a classroom filled with casualties.
The upcoming release from the school district is expected to include a variety of documents: police service and 911 call records, evidence logs related to the shooting, body-worn camera and security footage from Robb Elementary, files concerning the shooter, internal communications among district officials, and school safety audit results. Personnel files and other relevant documents related to Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde schools police chief who was fired and indicted for his role in the police response, may also be included.
Records from Uvalde County are expected to contain incident and 911 reports relevant to Robb Elementary and other locations, sheriff dispatch logs and radio traffic, video evidence, ballistics and evidence logs, as well as reports relating to law enforcement interactions with the shooter and his mother. However, it remains unclear how much of this information has already been made public.
Families of the victims have been vocal in seeking accountability for the lagging police response. Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of 10-year-old victim Amerie Jo Garza, expressed at a school board meeting prior to the board's vote on July 21 to approve the records' release, "There’s nothing in those records and those files that can hurt any one of us any more than the pain that we’ve already endured. Once released, there will be questions. Transparency will come. There may be some blame. Accountability will come."
Yet, not all records have been successfully released. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is still engaged in a separate legal battle concerning the release of its own records relating to the school shooting. The DPS argues that releasing its records could be "dangerous," as it may expose sensitive information about law enforcement procedures and complicate ongoing prosecutions, according to filings. This lawsuit remains pending in the 15th Court of Appeals in Texas.
In addition, two responding officers are facing criminal charges linked to their actions during the shooting. Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales have both pled not guilty to multiple counts of child abandonment and endangerment, with their trial set to take place on October 20.
