Some of the 376 law enforcement officers who responded to the 2022 massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have been ordered to appear before a grand jury investigating the failed police response. Multiple officers have been subpoenaed for in-person testimony, which is to begin next week at the Uvalde County Courthouse, the Austin American-Statesman reports, noting it's unclear if the officers "are possible witnesses or the subjects of the criminal investigation." The subpoenaed officers hail from various agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, per CNN.
The 12-member grand jury was seated in January, a day after a Justice Department report deemed the police response a "failure" and faulted Uvalde Consolidated School District Police Department chief Pete Arredondo for a lack of leadership and control. A 2022 Texas legislative report similarly described "systemic failures and egregious poor decision making." The subpoenas "mark an acceleration in a 21-month investigation" and "indicate that grand jurors will potentially consider both previously recorded statements and be given the opportunity to question the officers themselves," per the American-Statesman.
Jurors are likely to consider statements, in-person testimony, forensic evidence, and audio and video recordings while weighing whether charges should be brought against officers who waited 77 minutes before confronting the gunman, who claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. Charges under consideration could include child endangerment, per the American-Statesman. Arredondo was fired months after the shooting. Another four officers have been fired or resigned, per Fox News. (More Uvalde mass shooting stories.)
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