Federal report criticizes Border Patrol response to Uvalde shooting, no disciplinary action recommended – Tickle The Wire

By Steve Neavling

A federal report released Thursday shows that Border Patrol agents who responded to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, lacked adequate training and failed to take command, contributing to the chaotic operation during one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.

Despite these deficiencies, the investigation concluded that the agents did not break any rules and no disciplinary action was recommended, the Associated Press reported.

The nearly 200-page report from CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility does not place sole blame on officers 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 them the largest contingent of law enforcement officers on the ground.

The gunman remained in a fourth-grade classroom for more than 70 minutes before a Border Patrol-led response team entered and neutralized the gunman. The report largely recounts the confusion and numerous police missteps documented in previous investigations, but it has been criticized by some of the victims' families for failing to hold anyone accountable.

“The failure of arriving police to establish clear operational or command protocols resulted in a disorganized response,” the report said. “No police officer ever clearly established command authority at the school during the incident, resulting in delays, inaction, and potentially additional deaths.”

In a statement, the CBP said investigators “concluded that none of the CBP employees who worked at the scene violated any rules, regulations or laws and that no disciplinary action was taken against any CBP employee.”