Uvalde hires private law firm to block footage and audio from school shooting

The City of Uvalde does not appear to want to answer questions on the school shooting that occurred on May 24 and stole the lives of 19 children and two teachers. To that end, they have hired a private law firm to argue that they have no obligation to release those records. This comes as journalists and parents were prevented from attending a meeting where surveillance footage from that fateful day was shown.

Lawyers for the town argued that the records, including body cam footage from officers, photos, 911 calls, emails, text messages, criminal records, and additional materials, could include "highly embarrassing information," according to a letter obtained by Vice. The city has received 148 public records requests, and argues they should not have to respond to any of them. Concerns have mounted over police mishandling of the situation.

"The City has not voluntarily released any information to a member of the public," wrote attorney for Uvalde Cynthia Trevino to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trevino, of the firm Denton Navaro Rocha Bernal & Zech, was seeking a determination from Paxton as to what information the city is required to make public and what information they can hold back from public criticism.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has also implored Paxton to suppress body cam footage due to the potential for "weaknesses" in police response to be exposed. Children in classrooms 111 and 112 were subjected to massacre by a teen gunman on May 24, while officers waited up to an hour before trying to get into the classroom to either prevent the bloodshed or save the victims before they bled out and died.



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