Uvalde county report reveals lack of active shooter training in sheriff’s department

When a gunman attacked an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, only 20% of lawmakers at the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office had been trained in how to deal with the active marksman situation, according to post-action findings. The review was released today.

The chief superintendent, brought in by Uvalde’s county commissioners, also reported that elected county sheriff Ruben Nolasco had not received active marksman training in nearly two years as the county’s top lawman. Among the nearly 400 law enforcement officers present at the scene during the attack in May were 16 sheriff’s officers.

Richard Carter, former judge and police procedural adviser who was detained following the shooting at the school, said: “I have not conducted an investigation into actions or inactions,” said Richard Carter.

Carter said one of her most important recommendations is to train all personnel in the sheriff’s department on how to deal with incidents of active marksmanship – this was added to the department’s policy handbook four months after 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. .

Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office officials did not respond to ABC News’ questions, including how many deputies are currently employed by the agency and how many completed active marksman training on May 24.

Nolasco and his actions that day are being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and senior officials at DPS informed investigators that he was acting like an incident commander outside of school as police waited over an hour for an attack order. shooter. Nolasco denied being in command and made only limited comments in the months since he was shot. Carter said Texas law does not require sheriff’s departments to have active marksman training.

“I would be disappointed and shocked if the next session of the legislature didn’t pass a law that mandates all Texas police officers to take an active shooter response course, a mandatory course,” he said. carter.

County officials refused to release a copy of Carter’s report. Carter announced the results of his investigation at a meeting of county commissioners, who was even more emotional due to the involvement of Commissioner Mariano Pargas, who was in charge of the Uvalde City Police Department at the time of the May massacre and has since retired. power before being fired. This was the first public appearance since Pargas retired last month.

Jesse Rizo, uncle of Jacklyn Cazares, who was killed in Robb, told commissioners that the post-action investigation left the victims’ families with unanswered questions.

“Beyond understanding,” Rizo said. “It focuses only on policy and procedure. Families come here to ask for answers. What they want to know is detailed information.”

Speaking directly to Pargas, Rizo said, “You don’t need a manual to tell you what to do. You let them down. Now is the time to resign.”

In an emotional scene outside the courthouse, the victims’ families clashed, encouraging Pargas to “resign”. Pargas, who was taken to his car accompanied by many deputy sheriffs, did not comment on the issue.

“They want to hide behind a badge,” Brett Cross, the protector of 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, who died in the conflict, told ABC News. Disgusting.”