The grieving families of Uvalde victims slaughtered in school massacre have slammed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his ‘indifference’ after he met with the Texas Rangers at the same time a damning report into the police response was released by the Department of Justice.
Abbott, who’s earned an A+ rating, the highest granted by the National Rifle Association for ‘his steadfast defense and support of the Second Amendment,’ hosted the World Championship Texas Rangers in Austin.
The Republican tweeted photos of himself hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy while surrounded by Rangers players, coaches and the team owner.
‘He’s shown us nothing but indifference to the whole situation,’ Brett Cross, who was the guardian of Uziyah ‘Uzi’ Garcia told DailyMail.com.
‘This is the same person who told us ‘it could have been worse,” Cross said, referring to remarks Abbott made hours after the shooting when the governor gave a false narrative about police heroism responding to the 2022 shooting.
Abbott did not make the less than three hour drive from the state capitol to the grieving town where many parents expected the report would finally yield some justice for 19 elementary school children and two teachers who were gunned down with an AR-15.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hosts the World Champions Texas Rangers in Austin on the day the Department of Justice blamed his leadership for ‘epic failure’ and lose of life in Uvalde. Pictured above, Abbott poses with baseball team owner Ray Davis, rear center, and from left, Dave Raymond, infielder Justin Foscue, pitcher Jon Gray and third base coach Tony Beasley
Evadulia Orta, mother of Uvalde school shooting victim Rojelio Torres, hugs Nikki Cross, mother of victim Uziyah Garcia, before U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland released the Department of Justice Incident Report on the police response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, Texas
Kimberly Rubio, mother of Lexi who passed away during the mass shooting, speaks to the media outside of the Herby Ham Activity Center during a press conference in Uvalde
The DOJ report found ‘epic failures’– mostly from cops who failed to perform even their most basic duties and protocols during the active shooter situation where an 18-year-old gunman shot down fourth graders.
An army of nearly 400 law enforcement officers stood by for 77 minutes, allowing the killing of innocents before finally killing the shooter.
The Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, who report directly to Abbott, had at least 96 officers at Robb Elementary school on May 24, 2022, the largest presence of any police agency at the massacre.
‘It’s painful to have to relive everything, but at least for us, it’s necessary,’ Kimberly Rubio, who’s fourth-grader Lexi was murdered, told DailyMail.com.
‘I want justice and that will only come when all the facts have arrived, and I want Lexi to be known for more than just what happened that day. I want her name tied to change. That’s what I’m fighting for – that I need to know what happened and what went wrong that day.’
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Merrick Garland did make the trip to the Uvalde to hand-deliver the report and meet with the families of those killed and survivors.
Brett Cross (center) father of Uziyah Garcia, who passed away during the mass shooting, speaks to the media outside of the Herby Ham Activity Center during a press conference in Uvalde on Thursday
US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland speaks during a press conference at the Herby Ham Activity Center in Uvalde, Texas on Thursday. The Department of Justice released the critical incident review of the response to the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School where 19 children and two teachers were killed on May 24, 2022
Felix and Kimberley Rubio, parents of Lexi who lost her life, listen as Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Director Hugh Clements, Jr. of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) speak at the Herby Ham Activity Center during a press conference in Uvalde
In this photo from surveillance video provided by the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District via the Austin American-Statesman, law enforcement officers wait in the hall outside the two classroom where 19 kids and two teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com for comment.
He released a brief statement Thursday about the report, thanking the DOJ.
‘The State of Texas has already adopted and implemented some of the recommendations proposed by the DOJ in this review,’ the governor said.
‘We will continue to evaluate all possible means of making our schools safer, and we will carefully review all other recommendations the Department has offered to prevent future tragedies across our state.’
However, it’s unclear what sort of a welcome Abbott would have received from the victim’s families, who blame him for the botched police response and aftermath.
‘He would not have been welcomed, but you know when you’re in a position like that and you’re in the wrong, instead of being a coward like those officers, you should show up and you face your consequences,’ Cross added.
‘If he would show just an ounce of humility, it would go a long way.’
Brett Cross, the father of Uziyah Garcia, one of the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, has become an advocate following the death of his son
Kimberly Rubio and Daughter Alexandra Rubio aka Lexi. The fourth grader was also killed in the school massacre
All 21 victims, including 19 kids students and two teachers, pictured above
The families also blame Abbott for not firing more state troopers who were involved in the failed response.
Only two DPS troopers were involved were fired and one is appealing to get his job back.
Additionally, DPS announced a year ago that no more troopers who responded to the school shooting would be disciplined.
‘I still feel that (the state is) responsible, especially Greg Abbott,’ Rubio added.
‘He has done his best during his time to get to actually make it easier to get weapons instead of harder. How he dealt with the aftermath was also just a failure itself. He talked before he had all the facts, mistake number one, and hasn’t listened of done anything to ensure that this doesn’t happen again under his watch.’
This isn’t the first time Abbott has been criticized for his response to the tragedy.
On the day of the shooting, the Republican stayed at a fundraiser for hours after he learned of the massacre.
However, he told the media that had rushed to the site of the massacre.
The shooting started at 11:33 a.m.
Abbott arrived in Huntsville at 4:52 p.m. and was driven about two miles to a local supporter’s house and didn’t depart the city until 7:47 p.m., reported the Dallas Morning News.