From The Texas Newsroom:
The Texas lawmaker who chairs the committee investigating the shooting in Uvalde said surveillance video of the alleged gunman in the elementary school hallway will be released Sunday to family members and then to the public.
State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said in a tweet Tuesday morning that family members will also be able to discuss with lawmakers the findings of their investigation into the shooting.
The Committee will convene at 2 PM on Sunday in Uvalde. We will meet with members of the community first, and provide them an opportunity to see the hallway video and discuss our preliminary report. Very soon thereafter, we will release both to the public.
— Dustin Burrows (@Burrows4TX) July 12, 2022
The announcement comes as the investigation into the May 24 shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two schoolteachers, continues facing heavy criticism. For weeks, victims’ family members have clamored for more details into the shooting and the law enforcement response.
“We feel strongly that members of the Uvalde community should have the opportunity to see the video and hear from us before they are made public,” Burrows added.
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The gunman was reportedly inside the school for more than an hour before being confronted and killed by law enforcement, even as children inside the school repeatedly called 911 and pleaded for help.
The video does not contain images of children, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The AP also reported that Burrows’ committee has also interviewed behind closed doors more than three dozen people, including law enforcement officials who responded to the shooting.
Whether to release the video has been a topic of contention between the Texas House committee investigating the shooting, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee. Busbee has objected to the release despite the Texas DPS arguing it would bring some “clarity” to the public over what happened that day, KUT reported.
An official with Busbee’s office told The Texas Newsroom on Tuesday the office had no comment on Burrows’ announcement.
