DALLAS — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel who responded to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, did not violate policy or the law, according to a federal report released on Thursday.
The newly released, 201-page report includes audio transcripts, a map of the school, response times, recommendations, and key aspects of the transition of power between agencies on the day of the shooting, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.
Nearly 400 law enforcement officers waited 77 minutes to confront the gunman. The Department of Justice report cited “cascading failures” in law enforcement action.
CBP personnel, including a tactical team from the agency, responded to the shooting. Eventually, CBP agents assigned to the Border Patrol Tactical Unit breached the door and killed the shooter, according to the report.
However, the report found CBP agents weren't properly trained for a school shooting scenario and there were no clear instructions from local agencies on the ground.
Federal investigators ultimately placed the blame for the slow response on local police officials who were at the school but didn't take command of the scene.
The report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Professional Responsibility is the first to specifically scrutinize the actions of the 188 Border Patrol agents who gathered at Robb Elementary School, more than any other law enforcement agency.
As a result of the shooting, CBP said it has also corrected several policies. Use-of-force training materials have been distributed to agency personnel across the country, the agency is looking at acquiring more tools to respond to active shooters, and it's also working on a plan for Congress to clarify federal authorities for responding to mass-casualty situations, according to CBP.
Two Uvalde school police officers accused of failing to act were indicted this summer. Former Uvalde school Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school officer Adrian Gonzales have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of child abandonment and endangerment. A Texas state trooper in Uvalde who was suspended has been reinstated.
Families of the victims have long sought accountability for the slow police response in the South Texas city.
Brett Cross' son, 11-year-old Uziyah Garcia, died in the shooting. He told WFAA Thursday that no one was held accountable in the report.
"Not one person, not one agency, nothing. And it's infuriating," said Cross. "Because we see that the cops failed, we see that the school failed. Our federal government has failed because we keep allowing access to these weapons."
Victims’ families have filed a $500 million federal lawsuit against law enforcement who responded to the shooting.
"I don't trust that they are going to make any changes for the better in the long run but the least that they can do is work on what's already been done and what has already happened and therefore fire these officers," Cross said.
State lawmakers, the U.S. Justice Department, and the City of Uvalde have each released a report on the school shooting response.
When WFAA asked Cross if there was one thing the community could take away from this situation, he said vote.
"Get out and vote. And vote for your children's best interest," Cross said.
The full report can be read here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.