Uvalde shooting report elicits reaction from victims’ family members: “We shouldn’t have had to have 21 funerals”

Nikki and Brett Cross are nonetheless in disbelief after 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia was among the many 19 kids and two adults who have been killed within the May 24 bloodbath at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. He was their nephew who lived with them, they usually thought of him to be their son.

On Sunday, Texas lawmakers launched a report that discovered “systematic failures and egregious poor decision making” contributed to the failures within the Uvalde shooting response.

The Crosses instructed CBS News’ Lilia Luciano that they really feel that failures highlighted within the report contributed to the loss of life of Uziyah.

“The police failed us. The school system failed us. Those failures costed our son his life,” Brett Cross stated.

Multiple police physique digicam and college safety digicam footage from the shooting was launched following the report. Brett Cross stated watching the footage was the “worst thing” he has seen in his total life. 

“We shouldn’t have had to have 21 funerals. We should have been having a parade for the fallen heroes that took care of our babies,” he stated. 

(*21*)Uziyah Garcia’s cross stands at a memorial website for the victims killed within the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 27, 2022.

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Dario Lopez-Mills / AP

After studying among the practically 80-page report highlighting inaction and confusion by an armed pressure of virtually 400 responding officers, the Crosses are calling for accountability. 

“I’m glad that it’s coming out so that we can see all the failures, but I don’t know if it’s going to help because nobody is taking accountability,” Brett Cross stated.

Nikki Cross tearfully recounted how Uziyah needed to change into a police officer earlier than he was killed. 

“He wanted to be the one thing that failed him,” she stated. 

To honor Uziyah, the Crosses made a memorial at dwelling constructed with a few of his favourite issues, together with a water bottle that was returned to them by the college and had markings of the shooting. 

(*21*)Uziyah’s water bottle was returned to the Crosses after the shooting.

“I don’t think we ever get out of the feeling that this could just be a bad dream that we’re having and that tomorrow I’m going to wake up and it’s not going to be true,” Nikki Cross stated.