Uvalde county commissioner says community needs answers but needs to focus on

Uvalde County Commissioner Ronald Garza said Sunday on “Face the Nation” that he would “welcome” a federal investigation into the response to the mass shooting, although he said his “shattered” community needs to focus on healing right now.

“I welcome that investigation, I think we need to learn more,” Garza said. “As tragic as this may seem, we need to learn from this, you know, and parents deserve answers.”

Questions have arisen about the confused timeline of the law enforcement response to the shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who initially praised the actions of police on the scene and credited them with saving lives, said Friday that he was “livid” about being “misled” by officials immediately after the shooting. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio called for an FBI investigation into the response.

On Sunday, shortly after Garza’s interview, the Department of Justice said it would conduct a review of the response, in response to the request of the mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin.

“The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Garza said he too is still learning the details of the shooting and the response. While some have raised questions about a need for more security at the school, Garza said “there’s multiple factors that might be involved here.”

“But you know, right now, it’s easy to point fingers right now,” Garza continued. “It’s easy to play the ‘blame game.’ But, you know, our community I think needs to focus on healing right now.”

Garza said he has known the shooter’s family for many years, who he said have “strong ties” to the community and the church. He said he had no indication of what his motive could have been, which authorities have said is under investigation.

Garza said the Uvalde community still has many questions about the response to the shooting, especially the “devastated” parents who lost their children.

“You know, my heart goes out to the community – we’re emotionally shattered,” Garza said. “And, you know, we’re just really sad right now. It’s a time of mourning in our community.”