Uvalde City Council approves $2M settlement with Robb Elementary families

UVALDE, Texas - Uvalde City County unanimously approved a settlement with families affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting during Tuesday night's meeting.

The council met in a closed session for just over an hour on Tuesday before voting to approve the settlement.

What they're saying:

"Nothing can ever make up the losses and harms these families endured on May 24, 2022, but today's agreement marks an important step forward in advancing community healing and ensuring our city forever honors the lives we tragically lost and supporting all surviving victims in the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting," Mayor Hecto Luevano said. "In addition to working directly with many families to guide collaborative education and community reconciliation efforts, the city will work with the committee representatives of the families, community and city for a permanent memorial at the plaza and promote the shared healing of the Robb families and the broader community."

Josh Koskoff, who represents the families, said he hoped the agreement would help the families continue the healing process.

"No community is truly equipped to deal with the abject horror and heartbreaking aftermath of a mass shooting carried out with an AR-15. Still, 376 law enforcement officers failed to follow even basic protocols at Robb Elementary that could have saved lives," Koskoff said. "Faced with a difficult decision, these families worked with the community they love to make things right without creating deeper economic hardship. The road to healing is long and painful, but we are hopeful that this agreement enables families who lost so much and the city they call home to continue that process,"

2024 Settlement with Uvalde

The passage comes 11 months after the families announced they agreed to a $2 million settlement with the city.

Attorneys representing the 19 families of the victims said at the time they were accepting the city insurance payment because the families did not want to hurt the financial status of the city they live in.

As a part of the agreement, city leaders promised higher standards and "enhanced training" for current and future police. The city will also build a memorial to the victims and offer resources to support mental health.

The city will also pay for the upkeep of the children's graves.

During Tuesday night's meeting, Luevano confirmed the memorial and enhanced police training and resources.

"The agreement affirms the city's commitment to supporting the Uvalde Police Department's Guardian initiative, including enhanced emergency training and evaluation for officers as well as mental health support while working to instill trust and confidence in the men and women who take care on the critical responsibilities of protecting all Uvalde residents," Luevano said.

Uvalde Department of Justice Report

Last year, the Department of Justice released a nearly 600-page report detailing the ‘cascading failures’ by law enforcement on May 24, 2022.

Nearly 400 law enforcement officials responded to the campus, but waited for 77 minutes before entering the classroom and killing the 18-year-old shooter.

The report talked about the vast array of problems from failed communication and leadership, to the inadequate training and technology used by police.

Uvalde School Shooting Victims

This photo taken on May 24, 2023 shows pictures of victims of a school mass shooting placed at the former Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images)

19 Robb Elementary students were killed in the shooting.

• Xavier Javier Lopez, 10
• Amerie Jo Garza, 10
• Uziyah Garcia, 8
• Rojelio Torres, 10
• Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10
• Nevaeh Bravo, 10
• Makenna Lee Elrod, 10
• Eliahana 'Elijah Cruz' Torres, 10
• Eliana 'Ellie' Garcia, 9
• Alithia Ramirez, 10
• Jacklyn "Jackie" Cazares, 9
• Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10
• Jailah Nicole Silguero, 11
• Jose Flores Jr, 10
• Alexandria "Lexi" Aniyah Rubio, 10
• Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10
• Tess "Tessy" Marie Mata, 10
• Maranda Gail Mathis, 11
• Layla Salazar, 10

Fourth-grade co-teachers 48-year-old Irma Garcia and 44-year-old Eva Mireles were also killed. Family members said at the time both died trying to protect their students.

"We will never forget the lives we lost in this senseless act of violence and the city is committed to honoring the memories by providing the necessary support to the families of the victims, the survivors and everyone in our community that has been impacted by the elementary, Robb Elementary, tragedy," Luevano said Tuesday night.