In the roster of failures under the Biden administration, the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX stands out amongst the rest. His own Department of Justice cried out about the inaction of Uvalde police in a January report. So many expected the same when former police detective Jesse Prado was selected to head up an independent investigation into the shooting.
Following his lengthy research into the case, Prado was given a public forum where he simply gave the police little more than his understanding of their utter failures. “There were problems all day long with communication and lack of it. The officers had no way of knowing what was being planned, what was being said, if they would have had a ballistic shield, it would have been enough to get them to the door.”
Prado also tried alleging they showed “immeasurable strength” as well as “level-headed thinking” by not shooting toward a dark classroom. He alleged, “They were being shot at from eight feet away from the door.” Speaking of doors, he blatantly overlooked the door that had been wedged open and then left unsecured that the shooter entered through.
Adding insult to injury, he also blamed the parents who wanted to do what Uvalde cops refused to do and go rescue their kids. “At times, they were difficult to control. They were wanting to break through police barriers.”
Walking out to the sounds of objections and jeers, Prado came back and sat there silently as he was admonished for his findings. As residents and city council members informed him of just how horrific this report was, he seemed almost smug in his silent insistence that he had gotten it right.
Much like the officers that day, Prado produced little results and took far too long to do it. Had he simply given up, they could have brought in people who know how to analyze the situation and get it right. Similarly, had the police worked with the residents who were prepared to storm the school, this shooting could have ended much earlier, and with far less deadly results.
