Authorities in Texas have announced an internal review into their chaotic response to the Uvalde school shooting after an investigation found that it may have cost victims' lives.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said on Monday that it had launched a probe last week to "determine if any violations of policy, law, or doctrine" occurred during the 77 minutes that passed before officers breached the classroom holding the shooter.
It comes after an investigative committee in the Texas House of Representatives found that "systemic failures and egregious poor decision-making" had hobbled local, state, and federal officials' response to the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in May.
A spokesperson for the Texas DPS said: "Last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety formed an internal committee to review the department’s response to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
"Members are currently reviewing and examining the actions of every DPS Trooper, Officer, Agent and Ranger that responded to Robb Elementary to determine if any violations of policy, law, or doctrine occurred and where the department can make necessary improvements for future mass casualty responses.
"No additional information will be available until the committee has completed its full review of the department’s response."
DPS director Steven McCraw had previously branded law enforcement agencies’ response to the massacre as “an abject failure”, while condemning the media for releasing CCTV footage that showed officers standing around in the school corridors during the attack.
The Texas House committee’s report, released on Sunday, accused law enforcement officers of "failing to prioritise saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety" and said there had been no clear leadership and "an overall lackadaisical approach" at the scene.
It concluded that it is "plausible" that authorities' delay to act cost some of the 21 victims their lives since several children and one teacher died in hospitals or ambulances after being rescued from the school.
Whereas previous reports had focused on the actions of local authorities, the committee – comprising two Republicans and one Democrat – widened its criticism to state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Of the 376 officers who were present at the scene of the attack, only 25 were from the city of Uvalde, alongside five officers from the school system's own police force and 67 from various local sheriff's departments and city police departments.
The majority were from state and federal agencies, including 149 from the US Border Patrol and 91 from the Texas state police force, which is controlled by the DPS.
"The Uvalde [school system] and its police department failed to implement their active shooter plan and failed to exercise command and control of law enforcement responding to the tragedy," the committee said.
"But these local officials were not the only ones expected to supply the leadership needed during this tragedy. Hundreds of responders from numerous law enforcement agencies – many of whom were better trained and better equipped than the school district police – quickly arrived on the scene...
"In this sense, the entirety of law enforcement and its training, preparation, and response shares systemic responsibility for many missed opportunities on that tragic day."
Hours after the committee's report on Sunday, Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin separately released hours of body camera footage showing officers expressing confusion and doubt over the long delay in entering the classroom where the shooter had holed up.
Mr McLaughlin also said he had placed Uvalde's acting police chief Lt Mariano Pargas on administrative leave while city officials investigate his conduct. He did not say whether the leave was paid or unpaid.
Monday's announcement was the first time the Texas DPS has said it would examine the actions of its own officers in the nearly two months that have passed since the third most deadly school shooting in American history.
Several other investigations into the shooting are ongoing, including by the city of Uvalde and the US Department of Justice.
