Lawyers Representing the Victims of Robb Elementary School Shooting

Another school shooting was shaken the country. The school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is already the 30^th school shooting at a K-12 school. This shooting is the deadliest since Sandy Hook – the 2012 school shooting which all Americans are already familiar with. The elementary school has students in the 2^nd grade, 3^rd grade, and 4^th grade. A total of 19 students and 2 teachers were killed. The shooter has been identified at 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, also from Uvalde, Texas.

A Summary of the Incident

After Ramos shot his grandmother at her home, he drove her pick-up truck to the school, where he crashed it into a nearby ditch. He got off the vehicle fully armed and shot at two people across the street. This was at approximately 11:28am. A teacher who had propped a backdoor open witnessed this and called 911 at 11:30am; unfortunately, the teacher left the backdoor propped open. The shooter approached the school and started shooting at the windows. A school resource officer rushed to campus in response to the 911 but actually drove past the shooter who was crouched behind cars.

At 11:33am, the shooter was able to enter the school through the same backdoor that had been left propped open just a short while before. He was able to access Rooms 111 and 112, which were adjoining classrooms. He shot one of the teachers who tried to rush to the door to lock it and then shot at students. He then went into the adjoining classroom and did the same.

By 11:35am, there were already 7 officers outside the locked classroom waiting in the hallway. They were shot at from behind the door. At least 2 officers suffered grazing wounds. Between 11:37am an 11:44pm, the shooter shot 16 rounds inside the classrooms. By 12:03, there were a total of 19 officers in the hallway, taking no action whatsoever.

The first 911 call from a student inside Rooms 111 and 112 came in at 12:03pm. The call confirmed that there were multiple fatalities. The student called multiple times, also confirming that a number of students were still alive. At 12:15pm, a tactical team arrived, but the waiting continued. The authorities still waited in the hallway as students continued to be shot at. At 12:21pm, there was reportedly 3 more gunshots.

Students inside the classrooms continued to call 911, pleading for help. The last 911 call was received at 12:36pm. At 12:50pm, 80 minutes after the shooter entered the school, the authorities finally entered the classroom – using keys that they got from the school janitor – and killed the shooter.

The Authorities Took Too Long to Act

It took the authorities 80 minutes to take action, even though they were on scene just a few minutes after the shooter entered the classrooms. The authorities trickled into the hallway, waiting outside as students and teachers were killed in cold blood. According to reports, the authorities were acting under the assumption that there were no survivors in the classrooms – even though there were multiple 911 calls from separate students begging for help while the authorities waited outside.

According to Col. McCraw from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the failure to take action and enter the classroom was based on a belief that the situation was no longer that of an active shooter but that of a “barricaded subject.” McCraw said that the commander at the scene believed that there “may not be anybody living anymore” in the classrooms and that the subject was simply trying to keep “law enforcement at bay or entice them to come in.” In other words, they failed to take any action based on an assumption that all students and teachers in the classrooms were already dead.

Without a doubt, the authorities that responded could have acted differently. Their response was outright ineffective. It is possible that the number of injuries and fatalities actually increased because of their incompetence – and their failure to take action as soon as they arrived on scene. Many lives could have been saved if the authorities would have acted immediately.

There is no way to deny that the ineptitude of the authorities contributed to the severity of the incident.

The School’s Failure

As previously mentioned, a teacher had propped a backdoor open (for an unknown reason) when the crash and initial shooting outside of the school occurred. The teacher ran inside to call 911 but left the door propped open, ultimately giving access to the shooter. This has raised many questions. Why was the door propped open in the first place? What the door supposed to be closed and locked at all times? Was staff properly trained? Were school doors often left propped open? Was any other staff aware that the door was open? The most important question being the following – would the shooter have been able to access the school and enter the classrooms if the back door was closed?

The Harm Resulting from the School Shooting Incident

The incident left 19 students and 2 teachers dead. Survivors sustained injuries ranging in severity from gunshot wounds to grazes. In addition to physical injuries, surviving students have suffered devastating trauma. Some students have already made statements recounting their experience – some having to smear the blood of their friends on their bodies and having to play dead. Other students have stated that they never want to step foot in a school ever again. These students are likely to be left dealing with long-term mental and emotional distress, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, etc. Similarly, the family of both deceased victims and survivors are likely to suffer long-term mental and emotional harm.

Your Right to Sue

Can you file a lawsuit? Yes – you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. If a member of your family was injured or killed in this devastating school shooting incident at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit. Survivors could also sue for the mental and emotional harm that they suffered. In retrospect, the incident could have been avoided entirely or the number of injured victims and fatalities could have been much less. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Here at Kenmore Law Group, we are devastated by the school shooting – and we are appalled and the inaction of authorities. We can help you sue and recover the payout that you are owed.

Contact Kenmore Law Group Today

If you are ready to speak to our attorneys regarding your legal options, do not hesitate to contact our firm today. Our lawyers have experience handling all sorts of cases against negligent parties and entities. We are ready to take on your case and help you win. Unfortunately, school shooting cases have become increasingly more common over the years. We want to help you get justice.

We offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to pay any upfront legal costs for our legal services. In addition, we work on contingency, so our clients will not be required to pay legal fees until after winning their claims. If you do not win, you will not win.

Do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible.