Uvalde Survivors File Massive $27 Billion Suit Against City and Others
On November 29, 2022, Uvalde survivors filed a lawsuit seeking $27 billion in damages following negligence by the law enforcement authorities and the school district. Let’s explore the details of the suit with Ehline Law and our Texas personal injury attorneys and see if they even have a case at all.
The Deadliest School Shooting in Texas History Involved Systematic Failure
On May 24, 2022, Ramos, an 18-year-old boy, shot his grandmother in the face before driving off in a pickup truck with much sinister intent to carry out a school shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. We discussed earlier that cops have ZERO duty to protect you and their only duty is to protect “the man.”
Ramos crashed the pickup truck in a drainage ditch before entering the Robb elementary school with an AR-15-style rifle and a bag full of ammunition. The teacher seeing Ramos shooting at two men at a nearby funeral home, ran inside to call 911 but forgot to lock the door.
The principal tried to initiate lockdown through the school’s alert software but couldn’t due to troubles with the Wi-Fi signal. Instead of announcing the lockdown over the intercom, the principal asked the custodian to lock doors, who started to carry out the task but immediately ran to the cafeteria after hearing shots fired.
As Ramos entered the school, the police officers surrounded the building but only had pistols and no radio for communication. The officers could not determine who was in charge of the police operations and could not decide whether to barge into the school building or wait for orders. Meanwhile, Ramos was going through magazines, wreaking havoc in the classrooms.
The Border Patrol tactical team arrived at the school, entered the building, and shot at Ramos. However, the damage was already done as Ramos killed 21 and injured 19 in his shootout rampage.
Uvalde Survivors File Massive $27 Billion Suit in Federal Court
The survivors of the Uvalde mass shooting filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit in Austin’s federal court against the City of Uvalde, the Independent School District’s police department, the school district, some of the officers, and others.
Police Waited for an Hour as Havoc Wreaked; Complaint Alleges
According to the lawsuit, law enforcement officials delayed confronting the attacker. They failed to follow the active school shooter protocol during the mass shooting by waiting for more than an hour as the attacker caused havoc inside the Robb elementary school.
Dysfunction and Indecisiveness Led to Uvalde School District Shooting
The $27 billion class action lawsuit filed by the surviving teachers and parents of the Robb Elementary School students claims that the officers failed to exercise an organized and concerted response to the active shooter leading to dysfunction and indecisiveness.
It stated that multiple law enforcement agencies fell short of their duty-bound standards after the school shooter breached the otherwise secured school buildings.
Uvalde School District Police Chief Terminated for Lack of Action
Following the Robb Elementary School shooting, the Uvalde Police Department fired two officers while the others resigned, and some were placed on leave.
Steve McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, acknowledged the mistakes made and the law enforcement indecision while defending the institution.
When media reporters approached city officials for further comments on the lawsuit, they stated that the City of Uvalde did not get served with the suit and refused to comment on the pending litigation.
The $27 Billion Class Action Lawsuit Is Not the First Civil Action Against the School District
The massive $27 billion class action lawsuit comes after two months of another lawsuit filed against the school district, local law enforcement officials, and gun companies. It also names the store which sold the guns to Ramos and the manufacturer of the gun, Daniel Defense, as defendants.
City Files Its Lawsuit after Survivors File $27 Billion Class Action Suit
On December 1, 2022, the City filed a lawsuit against Uvalde County District Attorney, requiring the judge to provide them with all law enforcement investigation records and documents pertaining to the shooting at Robb Elementary School.
According to the court documents, the complaint alleges that the District Attorney is blocking City’s access to information that can help assess the officers’ actions.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Ehline Law
School district shootings are becoming more common, and it is the school’s responsibility to ensure its students’ safety. It is also the City’s responsibility to take immediate action and follow the active school shooter protocol to save lives.
If you suffered injuries or lost a loved one at school, contact us at (833) LETS-SUE for a free consultation. Ehline Law and our personal injury attorneys work tirelessly with victims and grieving families to ensure they get the justice they deserve.
