By Steve Neavling
A federal report released Thursday reveals that Border Patrol agents who responded to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, lacked adequate training and failed to establish command, contributing to the chaotic response during one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.
Despite these shortcomings, the investigation concluded that the agents did not break any rules, and no disciplinary action was recommended, the Associated Press reports.
The nearly 200-page report from the CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility stops short of placing full blame on the agents for the delayed response at Robb Elementary School, where a teenage gunman armed with an AR-style rifle killed 19 students and two teachers. The report highlights that nearly 200 CBP officers were involved, making up the largest contingent of law enforcement at the scene.
The gunman remained inside a fourth-grade classroom for over 70 minutes before a tactical team, led by Border Patrol, entered and neutralized the shooter. The report largely recounts the confusion and numerous police missteps already documented in previous investigations. However, it has drawn criticism from some victims’ families for not holding anyone accountable.
“The failure of arriving law enforcement personnel to establish clear incident management or command protocols led to a disorganized response,” the report states. to the Robb Elementary School shooting,” the report stated. “No law enforcement official ever clearly established command at the school during the incident, leading to delays, inaction, and potentially further loss of life.”
In a statement, CBP said that investigators “concluded none of the CBP personnel operating at the scene were found to have violated any rule, regulation, or law, and no CBP personnel were referred for disciplinary action.”
